The Things We Do For Love
by PodSara
Summary: Lenne and Shuyin were forced the defend Zanarkand against Bevelle and paid the ultimate price. When Rikku and Gippal discover a mysterious sphere, Yuna learns there may be a way to change the past, and find the one thing she wants most. A bit AU!
1. Chapter 1

**The Things We Do For Love**  
_A FFX-2 Original Fan Fiction_

* * *

_"There is no one here but me."_  
-Soldier Side, System of a Down

* * *

**Chapter One**  
Charmed Life

-----

Lenne awoke from the dream with a start, shivering and frightened. Her heart pounded as she glanced around the room in panic. Her eyes darted to the doorway and then to the window, in search of the assassins. When she realized that she was safe in her bed, in her own apartment in downtown Zanarkand, she flopped back against her pillow and let out the breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding. Just a dream. There were no guns, no assassins and certainly no giant machina. It had all been a dream. She was not dead. 

So why did it feel so real?

Once her heart stopped pounding, she sat up again and got to her feet. She pulled on a short violet-colored robe and made up the bed. From the other room, she heard the sound of piano keys tinkling. Shuyin. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes, picturing him at the keys, so focused, so passionate that he seemed as if he were a part of the instrument rather than a mere performer. 

He was her lover and her best friend, and even when he didn't know it, her greatest comfort. He was beautiful, talented and smart and everything she'd ever desired in a companion. He was strong, yet sensitive. Devoted and kind. She'd known the moment their eyes had met four years ago that they'd be together, and she'd been right. Since that day, he'd barely even looked at other girls. He'd even had the courage to go along with her on her pilgrimage to the temples after she'd become a summoner. He'd fought the fiends with her, prayed with her and believed in her. Most important, he'd trusted her. 

Just thinking about Shuyin was enough to erase her anxiety over the dream of the giant machina and the assassins. The macabre dream was washed away by thoughts of her lover's smile and his touch. She listened to him play for a few moments and then wiped the sleep from her eyes. Today was a big day for the both of them. The blitzball tournament would begin tomorrow, though the festivities would begin today, starting with a mini tournament for the children, games and an all day music festival, of which Lenne would headline. There was much to do before tonight's performance, and she preferred to stay busy to keep from getting nervous. It was best to get going before fear took over. This would be the largest crowd ever, and though she enjoyed performing, it was a little intimidating to perform in front of the entire city and all of Spira. The event would be televised. 

Shuyin's blitz team would be defending their championship title during the tournament tomorrow, which meant he would be at practice for most of the day. He was the star player of the Zanarkand Abes and every eye in the stadium would be on him. Unlike Lenne, he was used to the attention that stardom brought. Lenne was just a rising star, but Shuyin had been a star since before they'd met. After tonight, she'd be just as famous as he was. She could already see the headlines. __

Singing Summoner Takes Zanarkand By Storm

Lady Yunalesca's Prodigy A Singing Sensation

Songbird Summoner Hits a Sour Note

She entered the living room and crept up behind Shuyin, listening to him play. She ran her hand across his bare back, but he did not flinch. He continued to play, even as she kissed the back of his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. "Wish I were your piano," she whispered.

He chuckled and stopped playing. "The piano doesn't love me back," he said as he pulled her into his lap. "It only does what I tell it to."

Lenne smiled up at him. "In that case, I _never_ want to be your piano."

Shuyin smiled and kissed her on the lips. "I didn't wake you did I?"

She snuggled close and leaned her head against his shoulder. She loved the way her head fit perfectly there, the way his arms felt around her body. "I was getting up anyhow."

"How about some breakfast?"

"That would be great," she said, "but then, I'd have to get up. I want to stay right here with you."

"You're not nervous are you?" he asked. He knew her well enough to know that something was troubling her. 

"Maybe a little."

"You'll be great," he said. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair, which sent tingles down her spine. She loved it when he did that. 

"It's a big crowd."

"I'll be right there."

"Then I won't be afraid."

* * *

After breakfast, they cleaned the kitchen together, as they always did. He washed the dishes, she dried. He wiped the table down, she cleaned the counters. As she worked, she hummed one of her songs to herself. Shuyin loved to listen to her sing while she did her chores, maybe even more than he loved to see her perform. Because it was a private performance, and he was a willing and enthusiastic audience. 

Shuyin had met Lenne at a party four years ago. She'd been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and when she smiled directly at him from across the room, he thought he might pass out. She still had that effect on him. Sometimes, he would watch her doing some mundane task, like putting the dishes way and that feeling would course through him again. She was his girl and he was proud to have someone so wonderful in his life. Until Lenne, his life had been dull and colorless. Now, he looked forward to each day because he knew she would be there. 

"Coming to my practice today?" he asked as he washed and dried his hands in the sink. 

"Maybe for a little while. I have to see Lady Yunalesca first thing. If that doesn't run too long, I can stop by before sound check."

"I hope so," he said. "It makes me happy to see you there, watching me."

"You mean it boosts your ego," she teased. She sat down at the table and began to sift through her purse. "I know how much you love showing me off to your team mates."

"Well, that too," he admitted.

Lenne glanced at the clock and jumped to her feet. "I didn't know it was this late," she exclaimed. "I've got to run."

"If I don't see you at the stadium, I'll see you after sound check," he said. He kissed her on the mouth. "Don't worry. You're going to be great." 

Shuyin didn't want her to go so soon, but he knew she needed to. He was happy that she was finally chasing her dream of becoming a singer. It had taken a lot of coaxing on his part to get her where she was today. He didn't take credit for it, but he had been the first person to encourage her talent. Everyone around her seemed bent on making her into another Yunalesca. Though he adored the High Summoner, he didn't think it was right that the temples were trying to mold Lenne into someone she was not. Because of this, Lenne had been reluctant to sing in public, unless it was to sing the Temple Hymn during weekly mass. It wasn't that he wanted her to give up being a Summoner, it was that her involvement with the temple required her to put Summoning before everything else in her life. That included her music, and consequently, him.

He also wasn't sure he trusted the Temples. The public knew of the summoner's pilgrimages to the temples of Spira. What they didn't know was that in the temples resided powerful entities known as Aeons. They had been kept a closely guarded secret. Shuyin had seen his first Aeon as Lenne's companion and guardian on her journey across Spira and it had frightened him. It was only after Lenne explained about the Fayth that his anxiety waned. After they'd returned from their travels, Shuyin had been sworn to secrecy, under penalty of death. He was to discuss the matter with no one outside of the Temple, and even then only when absolutely necessary. The Aeons may have been a good thing, but, the temples kept secrets and he didn't like it. 

It made him wonder what other secrets the Temples were keeping, and what the purpose of creating Summoners was in the first place.

* * *

Lenne hurried down the catwak that lead to the Temple, praying that she wasn't late. Today was a very important day. Yu Yevon, the Maester from Bevelle had finally graced Zanarkand with his presence, in honor of the Blitz Tournament and she was excited to meet him. Yunalesca had spoken so highly of the man that Lenne couldn't help but imagine Maester Yu as a towering giant, a God among ordinary men. 

She arrived at the dome with five minutes to spare. Outside the Lady's chambers, she took a deep breath, let it out and knocked. One of the Temple monks ushered her in without a word and lead her to Lady Yunalesca's private sitting room. Inside, the Lady sat with the venerable Yu Yevon. Her lover and fellow Summoner, Lord Zaon was also present. Lenne held her breath as she was escorted into the room.

Maester Yu turned out to be quite different than she'd imagined. Instead, he was on the short side, rather ordinary looking with a round, slightly pudgy face, a piggish nose and a pale complexion. In a crowd, she might not have given him a second look. That was, until he looked at her directly. His face was disarming, however, his gaze was hypnotic. In such a bland face, she was astounded to see such arresting eyes. They were the color of the ocean, an unusual aquamarine that reminded her of the waters of Besaid and it was impossible to break away from his appraising stare.

"Lenne, I'd like you to meet Maester Yu Yevon," Yunalesca said. "Maester, this is the young Summoner I told you about."

"It is a pleasure, M'lady," he said. He took her hand in his and kissed it. His dry lips upon her skin repulsed her. Her reaction was a disappointment to her. She had no reason to be repulsed by such a celebrated man. Everyone loved Maester Yu or so she'd heard.

Lord Zaon sat in silence, looking the Maester over. Lenne suspected that Lord Zaon was suspicious of the Maester, but his expression was unreadable and she couldn't be sure what he really thought of the man. 

"I expect Lenne to replace me as High Summoner when I retire," Yunalesca continued.

"Oh, is that a fact?"

Yunalesca nodded. "Of all my apprentices, Lenne has showed the most promise and the most talent. She may even surpass my abilities one day."

Lenne blushed. "She exaggerates."

"On the contrary, Lady Lenne," Maester Yu said with a smile. "Of all the Summoners in Spira, Lady Yunalesca is the only one I fully trust. In fact, she is the only one I call on when I have an unresolved issue. Which leads me to my reason for meeting with you today. I'm sure the three of you will agree that this situation is becoming a problem and can assist me in resloving it."

Lenne was not aware that she would be called upon to assist the Maester with his problem. She expected to be dismissed, but the Maester gestured to Lenne that she should have a seat and she obeyed. 

"I'll do my best," Yunalesca said. 

"As much as I love Zanarkand," Maester Yu said with a sigh, "I regret to tell you that I think your people have become lazy. There are too many Machina in this city, and I find it disgusting that your citizens have allowed these machines to do their work for them."

Lenne was surprised at this admission. She noticed a silent, exchanged glance between Yunalesca and Zaon. From that glance, she discerned that they felt differently than the Maester did. Yunalesca confirmed her suspicion.

"Maester Yu," Lord Zaon began, "I understand your point of view, but I do not agree with it. Our machina allows our people to do their jobs better and faster, with more precision than before. We can make better fabrics, better homes and better lives this way."

The Maester chuckled. "How wrong you are, Lord Zaon. These things take the purpose of work out of the task. Hard work is a form of purification, a cleansing of the soul. It is only through work that our people become strong and respectful of the powers that be. Your machina make them slothful, gluttonous beasts that live only for pleasure."

Lenne's cheeks flamed. She wanted so badly to contradict this man, but it wasn't her place to speak unless specifically addressed.

As if sensing her anger, Maester Yu turned his piercing eyes upon her. "You wish to speak on this, M'lady?"

Her eyes darted to Yunalesca, who nodded her wish to hear Lenne's opinion. "Is pleasure not the fruit of our labor?" she asked. "You say our people are lazy and imply that we are an undisciplined bunch of beasts, but we're not! Just because we have machina to help us in our work you say we're slothful. I say you are misinformed. I urge you to go to any of our factories and observe how hard the employees work, how much detail goes into the fabrics they weave, the clothing they sew and the furniture they construct. See how they still perspire, how they take pride in their jobs. Then you come back and tell me that you believe they are slothful!"

Lenne stopped herself before she could say anymore. She was certain Yunalesca would be angry with her for speaking so angrily to the Maester. 

"Please continue, Lady Lenne," the Maester said. "There is more you wish to say."

"Yes, my Lord," she whispered. In a softer tone, she continued. "My point is that there must be some joy in peoples lives, otherwise, they become unhappy and lose sight of what they're working for in the first place. Unhappy people turn their back on their beliefs. What good is it to believe in something that makes them feel bad about the things they enjoy? Pleasure is their reward for their faith and their labor, Maester Yu. 

"It's my belief that the Fayth inhabit every aspect of our lives. You say that Machina are bad, but they are made from natural materials. We were created by the Fayth from the minerals and elements of the earth. The Fayth would not have given us this technology if they did not intend for us to use it. Your own Temple in Bevelle is run with Machina, is it not? I've seen it with my own eyes, Maester, and that makes you something of a hypocrite, doesn't it?"

Lord Zaon gasped, but Lady Yunalesca nodded in agreement. "Well spoken, Lenne."

The Maester's piercing stare became a brutal, soul-searing glare. "How dare you accuse me of being a hypocrite! The machina in the Temple is only to aid the clergy in their daily routines. Without it, much time would be wasted walking to and fro, and nothing would be accomplished."

"Maester, you have just restated my point," Lenne said. "Our machina serves the same purpose. Why should our people spend days weaving fabric by hand if a machina can do it in a matter of hours?"

"Getting our priests from mass to confession in a timely manner is completely different than weaving fabric, young lady. Apparently, you are too young to see the difference."

Lenne looked at him, her head cocked. "So, you're saying that using machina to create cloth is wrong but it's ok as long as it serves the Temples?"

"Exactly."

"I'm sorry, but I still fail to see the difference, your grace," Lenne said. The venerable Yu Yevon was definitely not what she'd expected. She didn't like this man at all, and she wasn't sure how a man like him had become a Maester. He was talking insanity. 

"Of course you don't," he said angrily. "You have been poisoned by machina."

"Forgive me for disagreeing, Maester Yu," Lord Zaon countered, "but Lenne is one of the most devoted Summoners you'll ever meet. I respect her for her strength and her determination to become the woman she is today. And as far as machina, I fear you have judged them without doing the proper research. If they were dangerous or held secret powers that lead our people astray we would not be using them."

Maester Yu continued to glare at Lenne. He dismissed Lord Zaon's speech with a wave of his hand and got to his feet. "Lady Lenne, you are also a songstress."

"Yes, I am."

"Wouldn't your time be better spent here at the Temple praying, instead of strutting around like some kind of diva on an ego trip?" The Maester looked down at her with disdain. "You sicken me. Machina have made you vain, prideful. It has shifted your focus away from your duty as a Summoner. You seek fame, not faith."

Lenne got to her feet and glared back at him, but was unable to form a sentence to fire back at him. 

Yunalesca stood. "Maester Yu, I think it is best that you go back to Bevelle. You judge us on things you know nothing about," she said softly. "I wish to speak to you again, once you have educated yourself about this issue. Until then, I bid you good day."

The Maester continued to glare at Lenne for a moment, then stormed out without another word. As soon as he was gone, Lenne collapsed in her chair and put her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to make him angry. He asked for my opinion and . . . "

"No worries, Lenne," Yunalesca said, looking defeated. Her hand laced through Zaon's and she leaned heavily against him. "The Maester came looking for a fight. For whatever reason, he's decided that machina are bad, and nothing is going to change his mind."

"Still, I feel responsible."

"If it hadn't been you, it would have been me."

"I agree," Zaon said. "Though he's not going to take this lightly. Something's made him turn against Machina, and I doubt that this will be the end of it."

"Maybe I should cancel my performance tonight," Lenne said. She didn't want to call off the show, especially since it brought the people of Zanarkand such joy. 

"You will do no such thing!" Yunalesca said. "If you cancel, he will have won. Don't let it get to you."

"I'll try not to."

"It makes me so angry!" the elder summoner ranted. "To think I respected that man."

Zaon stroked Yunalesca's hair. "He wasn't always like this. The power's gone to his head and maybe it's driven him mad. We will have to watch Bevelle closely, in case he decides to declare Zanarkand a den of sinners. I have a feeling he's looking to pick an even bigger fight."

"If he does, we'll be there to fight back."

* * *

Shuyin was playing at the top of his game in practice and he was pleased with himself. The tournament tomorrow would prove that no one beat the Abes. Last year's team had been good, but this year, they had the best team possible. Even the bench warmers were top drawer players, and Shuyin knew they'd take home the trophy. Again. The best part was, Shuyin's cousin, Tidus, son of the legendary Jecht had joined the team this season, and he proved to be as much of a star as Shuyin himself. Tidus may have been a rookie, but he had the potential to be as good as his father had been before him. So long as the boy stayed away from the booze, that was. Jecht's biggest downfall had been his love of alcohol, and it was said that he was lost at sea because he was too drunk to swim when he went out for training. It was sad, but he had hope for Tidus. He was nothing like his father.

When Shuyin saw Lenne take a seat in the stands, he decided it was time for a break. "It's about time for lunch, isn't it? Let's break for an hour or so." he said to the team. "And starting team, be advised anyone not back by one thirty warms the bench."

Tidus swam up beside Shuyin and nodded at the girl in the stands. "You call that lunch?" he said with a chuckle. "More like afternoon delight."

"You're just jealous 'cause there's no girl waiting for you up there," Shuyin replied and ruffled the boy's hair. 

"I prefer to not be tied down."

Shuyin put his arm around his cousin and gestured to Lenne. "There's no one else in the world I'd rather have tie me down, cos," he said. "Besides, when the time's right and you meet the right girl, you'll be begging for it. Trust me."

Tidus rolled his eyes. "Right."

"Deny it all you want. One day, you're going to meet a girl, and you'll love her so much, you'd die for her."

The younger boy made a gagging sound. "Yeah, and one day Auron will smile."

Auron had been Tidus' guardian since the boy's mother had died, shortly after Jecht's disappearance. Tidus was waiting for the day he turned eighteen and he'd be free of parental supervision. Deep down, Shuyin knew that Tidus admired and respected Auron, but he, like most kids disliked parental authority. However, what he said about Auron was true. He was the most serious man Shuyin had ever met. Silent and stoic and forever watching. 

Shuyin joined Lenne in the stands a few minutes later. She'd been thoughtful enough to bring him a sandwich and a bottle of orange juice from the cafe on Spira Street. Though she smiled when he greeted her, he instantly knew something was wrong. Her smile was genuine, but there was a deep worry in her eyes. 

"Still nervous?" he asked.

"It's not that . . ." she said.

"Temple stuff?"

She nodded. "And unfortunately, it's nothing I can talk about."

Shuyin scowled. "I hate what they do to you. All these secrets. Secrets are lies by sin of omission, you know."

"It's not a secret . . ." she said feebly. 

"Then why can't you talk about it?"

Her eyes pleaded with him to drop the subject. That look was enough to melt away his anger. Instead of pursuing the issue, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I'm sorry. I should be supporting you, not giving you a hard time." He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. 

"No," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be in a bad mood. It's my fault."

"And I didn't mean to get mad," he said and kissed her again. "You forgive me?"

"If you forgive me," she said with a weak smile. She looked exhausted. Whatever was going on was big. She'd never left the Temple with such a troubled look before. Usually, she was happy and bubbly and full of energy, as if her devotion gave her such pleasure that she could barely contain it. He didn't like seeing her this way.

"Thanks for the sandwich, baby," he said. 

"Knew you'd be starving."

"I'm so lucky to have found you."

"No," she said burrying her face in his neck. "I'm the lucky one."

* * *

Yuna sat on the beach in Besaid staring out at the ocean. She felt empty and alone. The sphere in her hands had been made to reassure her, but instead it only made her cry. Baralai had found it in Bevelle and he had given it to Rikku and Gippal and they had passed it on to Yuna a week ago. She'd watched it over and over until she knew it by heart. It brought back so many memories. The terror she'd felt when she realized that she'd fallen for Tidus, the intensity of her will and her determination to defeat sin. Every moment of it was bittersweet. It reminded her of what might have been, but could never be. 

"_Don't watch it now," Rikku had said. "Wait until you're alone."_

"What's on it?"

Rikku was uncharacteristically serious when she said, "You'll have to see for yourself. It's too hard for me to explain."

"I don't understand."

"It's pretty heavy, superstar," Gippal said, calling Yuna by his pet name for her. "You'll understand when you watch it."  
  
Now all the old memories had been stirred up. Just when she'd finally come to terms with Tidus being gone. Just when she'd accepted Baralai's proposal of marriage. 

On this sphere was Tidus' story, from beginning to just before the end, from his point of view. The entire journey on one sphere. It hurt to watch, but it made her realize that she had never really gotten over him. Those feelings were still there, waiting for one sign, one moment of hope, one reason to believe again. She'd just burried all those emotions and convinced herself that she was over it, for good. And now this. All it took was the sound of his voice to bring it all back and she knew she'd never given up hope of some miracle.

To make matters worse, somehow Tidus knew about Shuyin. She'd come to believe that everything was connected, past and present, but this was more than she could handle. What made no sense was that Shuyin had been a real person, while Tidus had been a dream of the Fayth, someone who'd never existed except in the imagination of said entities. 

She wanted to pitch the sphere into the ocean but she couldn't. She knew she'd hang on to the sphere for a long time, maybe for he rest of her life. She wanted to believe Tidus' last words to her on that hateful recording. 

_Shuyin said that one day I'd meet a girl I'd be willing to give my life for. I didn't believe him then, but he was right. For me, that girl was you. _

Yuna, I'll come back for you. Some how, some way, I'll come back. I'll fix it.

----------------------------  
**  
notes**

hi there kiddies...welcome to the first chapter of my alt-uni fic! Some explanations are due...i finished ffx-2 a while ago and found it FULL of plot holes, just loaded with 'em. the game wasn't bad, just...there were problems, in my mind at least, with things concerning zanarkand 1000 years before, so i started coming up with explanations of my own, and thus a story was born. because this is a/u, certain aspects of the story will be different of course, taking place in both past and future, tying up all the loose ends, explaining the things that were never explained in the game, such as...why were there summoners before sin? From my understanding the machina war happend before sin, according to the first game and sin was a result of the use of machina as weapons. And where was Yunalesca during all this? Why does Shuyin look so much like Tidus? Why was Auron able to go back and forth between time periods? So many questions...

So anyway, here's my take on the beginning...please, read...review...comment...I appreciate your thoughts and reviews...without them I wouldn't bother writing this stuff.   
****


	2. Chapter 2

**The Things We Do For Love**  
_A FFX-2 Original Fan Fiction_

* * *

_"I've come to you 'cause I need guidance  
to be true and I just don't know  
where I can begin."_  
-Criminal, Fiona Apple

* * *

**Chapter Two**_  
Uneasy _

-------------------

Lenne stepped off the stage and into Shuyin's arms following the biggest performance of her life. One full set and two encores should have exhausted her, but instead, she felt wide awake, _alive_. Every nerve ending in her body vibrated and she felted as if electricity coursed her veins. This was absolutely the most fantastic feeling in the world and she wanted to end each day feeling this way, for the rest of her life.

Shuyin spun her around and kissed her on the mouth. "I'm so proud of you, baby!" he exclaimed. "You were great!" When he set her on her feet, he showered her face in kisses, still praising her.

"I felt amazing out there," she said. "Like I could change the world."

"You looked amazing . . ." he said. He cupped her face in his hands and smiled down at her. "You are amazing."

For a moment, there was just the two of them, as if everything and everyone around them had disappeared. This was the life she wanted. This was the dream she'd secretly hoped would come true for a long time. If she never sang in public again, it wouldn't matter because she'd always have this moment to remember for the rest of her life. It was perfect. 

"Ready to go home?" Shuyin asked. 

She nodded. 

"Good, because I have a surprise for you when we get there." 

"I love surprises. What is it?" she asked.

"You'll see when we get there," he said and guided her toward the back entrance of the theater. 

"Pardon me, Lady Lenne?" an elderly gentleman said as they approached the door. "I don't wish to hold you up, but I am Machen, a professor at Zanarkand University."

"Pleased to meet you," She replied, extending her hand. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"Immensely, Lady Lenne," he said. "It was wonderful."

"Thank you, sir," she said, pleased. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to ask if I might have the honor of shaking your hand. That is, if this gentleman is not opposed to the idea."

"I'd be happy to," Lenne said with a sincere smile, and took his hand in hers. There was something about this gentleman that she liked, though she couldn't quite decide what it was. It might have been his kind, intelligent eyes or his warm smile. As they shook, Lenne knew that this would not be the last time their paths crossed. 

"Thank you," he said in a humble voice. "You have made this old bachelor quite happy."

"I'm glad," she said. 

"Please, don't let an old man like me keep you. I'm sure you have celebrating to do," he said. 

"It was good to meet you, Machen."

"Till we meet again, Lady Lenne."

Though this man seemed kind, scholarly and gentle, she was left with a grave feeling at this brief encounter. His final words seemed more of a promise than a mere courteous statement, as if he knew something she didn't. 

------

Shuyin had gone all out tonight. Lenne thought he must have spent hours transforming the kitchen into a romantic dinner for two. There was wine and candle light, soft piano music and a delicious meal he'd prepared himself. Everything was perfect. She couldn't help but think this might be the most perfect night of her life. At the end of the meal, he handed her a small package wrapped in red foil paper and tied with a violet satin bow. 

"Shuyin," Lenne exclaimed, "What is this?"

He smiled at her across the table, his face illuminated by candle light. "Just a little congratulations gift."

She untied the bow and carefully removed the paper. Inside was a ring box. She gasped and stared at Shuyin.

"Open it," he urged.

She flipped he lid open. Inside was a marquis cut amethyst, set in a platinum band. "It's beautiful!" she cried.

Shuyin moved to her side, took he ring from it's box and slipped it onto her finger. The fit was perfect. "This ring is my promise to you. I'll love you forever, Lenne."

For the third time that day, Lenne was struck with a sense of impending doom. Their happiness seemed a fragile windowpane that might crack or even shatter at the slightest tap upon it's surface. The old saying, all good things must come to an end came to mind and she shuddered. Zanarkand, and maybe even Spira was on the verge of something big, that much she knew for certain. How long their care free life would last was something she didn't know, and something she didn't want to count on. 

It wouldn't last.

"Lenne?" Shuyin whispered. "You looked like you were a thousand miles away for a second. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said and looked down at the ring on her finger. "I'm just overwhelmed."

Try as she might, she couldn't shake that sense of disaster lurking just around the corner.

* * *

For the second night in a row, Yuna couldn't sleep. It was all because of that sphere. What did Tidus mean, he'd fix it? What was there to fix? He'd only been a dream of the Fayth, not someone who'd really existed. Once the Fayth had stopped dreaming, he'd faded, just as any dream image would once the dream ended. There wasn't any way for him to come back because he'd never really been here in the first place.

A week ago, she'd been sure about her decision to marry Baralai. He was a good match for her, and she'd fallen for him. She loved him, perhaps not the way she'd loved Tidus, but she still had strong feelings for him. Now, because of this sphere, she wasn't so sure. Suppose Tidus could fix it. Suppose, by some miracle, he reappeared in her life and she had already gone ahead and married Baralai. What then? 

All Yuna knew was that deep down, she still hoped there was some way to change things, some way to make a dream real. Not the dream of the Fayth, but_ her_ dream. 

She held the sphere in her hands and looked out at the sea. This time, she'd do it. She'd throw it into the bay where it would be lost forever. She couldn't keep living like this. She had to make a decision right here and now. She could either keep living in the past, searching for something that she had little chance of ever finding, or she could move on and marry Baralai, have children and live a normal life. It was her choice, but she would have to make a decision, for it wouldn't be fair to Baralai to continue her search while married to him. But the question she kept asking herself was, would she really be happy with Baralai? She cared about him, but would that be enough? 

And what if she continued her search and never found him? She'd waste the best years of her life, maybe even her chance to have a family casing some silly dream that she knew wouldn't come true.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and cocked her arm back to throw the sphere into the ocean. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a familiar voice said. 

Yuna whirled around in shock. He was supposed to be dead. She had to be imagining things. Behind her stood a figure that was easily recognizable, even in the darkness. 

"Memories are precious," the voice said. "You may not want them now, but you will later."

"Sir Auron?" she whispered. She took a step forward to confirm what she was seeing and hearing was true. Sir Auron had gone to the Farplane following their defeat of Sin three years ago. Once a soul had crossed over, there was no coming back. It wasn't possible.

Possibility at that moment, however, seemed to have been suspended. Indeed, this was Auron, impossible or not. There was no denying it. 

"Your story is not over yet, Yuna."

Yuna shook her head. "I'm done chasing shadows, Auron."

"Do you really believe that, or are you trying to convince yourself it's true?"

"For the last three years I've been looking for something that's not there! I'm tired, Auron. Tired of hoping and searching for something that's never going to happen!"

Auron chuckled. "You've been looking in the wrong places."

Yuna sat down in the sand and looked at the sphere in her palm. "My life had settled. I was going to get married, maybe start a family, and then this came along and messed everything up. You too. You come here from the Farplane, or wherever it is that you've been all this time, to tell me I've been looking in the wrong places and all I want to do is put this behind me. I want something I can count on."

"Can you count on being happy as another man's wife?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "But maybe it's better than following my heart around all the time. It hurts too much."

"You have always followed your heart Yuna. You pick your path and you walk it without regret. That is what your friends love about you. Now is one of those moments when you must choose which road you will follow. Choose your normal life with Baralai or choose to find what's missing from your life." Auron sat beside her and took the sphere from her hand. 

In a small voice, she said, "I've always known which way to go, but now I feel lost. I don't know what I want. Tell me which road to pick Auron. Tell me how I'm supposed to handle this!"

"It's your choice to make."

"I get the feeling there's really only once choice, isn't there? That's why you're here," she said. She looked out at the ocean again thinking about how many times she'd visited a place in Spira and half expected to hear his whistle. In the last three years, the only place she'd ever heard it was on the Farplane. That's where he was now. She knew where to find him again, if she really wanted to. 

"There are many choices in life, Yuna. Some are the right ones, some are mistakes. In the end, it's still up to you which roads you go down, and which ones you avoid."

Yuna got to her feet. She was angry now. She was tired of the cloak and dagger game. It was obvious that Auron expected something of her, and she wanted to know why he'd come at the worst possible moment. "What is it that you want from me? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be on the Farplane?" She ranted for a minute or two, then the rage drained out of her and she collapsed onto the beach. "Auron, if there's a way to find him, would you tell me?"

"No. I am only able to guide you."

"Then tell me why you're here"

Auron looked up at the stars. "I made him a promise."

"What kind of promise?"

"To look after you."

"But you're dead," she said. "You shouldn't even be here!"

"Dead I am," he agreed. "But I didn't die after your battle with sin. I died more than a thousand years ago during the machina war, alongside someone quite dear to you."

"I don't understand."

"I am more than just a ghost," Auron said. "And He was more than just a dream, Yuna."

* * *

_Lenne was running, in fear for her life. Not far behind her, a squad of guards followed, guns ready to fire. They wanted to hunt her down, kill her. She knew this beyond a doubt. She knew all about their secrets and their lies. She knew they had betrayed their own teachings. She knew that machina were not to blame for this war and she knew they wanted her dead for it. They knew she would expose them. So she ran and ran, nearly becoming lost in the twisting labyrinth below the temple floor. _

Just when she thought she'd never find her way, the sound of a piano guided her. 

* * *

Shuyin awoke at the sound of Lenne's muted cry. He sat up and looked down at her in the darkness. Tears ran down her cheeks and she mumbled something that sounded like 'machina.' He shook her gently. "Lenne, wake up."

Her eyes opened and looked around in panic. She didn't seem to recognize him. "I know. They want me dead because I know," she cried and fought away his reassuring hands. "Shuyin, where are you?"

"I'm right here, baby" he said. "It's just a nightmare."

"No!" she cried and sat up. Her eyes focused on him, and this time she really saw him. The dream panic was washed away by relief and she threw herself into his arms. 

"Shh. It's ok."

"Shuyin . . ." she whispered. "Shuyin. You're ok. You're alive."

"Of course I am, " he said, baffled. He pulled her to his chest and lay back against the pillow. He could feel her heart racing and he stroked her hair to soothe her. In all the years they'd been together, she'd never woken him in the middle of the night like this, not in this state of terror. She'd had nightmares before, once or twice perhaps, but never of this magnitude. It worried him and he couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with her strange mood earlier in the day. Whatever it was, he was almost sure it had something to do with her meeting with Lady Yunalesca. 

They lay in silence for a while, their arms wrapped around one another. He continued to stroke her hair and brood about the pressure the temples were putting on her. Something wasn't right. There was something she was holding back, for what else could have upset her so much? 

"Lenne?" he asked. "I know you're not supposed to tell me Temple secrets, but if you want to talk to me, you know you can trust me not to say a word, right?"

Lenne sighed and stroked his chest. "It was just a nightmare," she said. "It didn't have anything to do with the Temple."

For the first time, Shuyin didn't believe her. She'd never lied to him but he knew that she was lying now. Did the Temple have that much control over her, or was he just being paranoid?

"Shu," she whispered. "Let's go back to sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep until I know you're going to be ok."

"As long as you're here with me," she whispered.

* * *

Rikku sat cross - legged on the floor in Djose Temple sorting through a pile of bolts, in search of the one that didn't seem to be there. Not that she was paying much attention to what she was doing. Her mind was on Yuna. She hadn't stayed to see her cousin's reaction to the sphere Baralai had found, even though she should have. She knew Yuna would have a hard time with it, especially now that she'd finally decided to move on with her life. 

"_Maybe we shouldn't give it to her," Gippal had said._

"What do you mean we shouldn't give it to her?" Rikku cried. "This is kinda what she's been looking for since she joined the Gullwings!"

"Yeah, but, maybe it's for the best that she doesn't see it. You said she loved this guy, right?"

"She still loves him Gip. She'll always love him."

"All the more reason to leave it alone," Gippal said. "She wants to get over him, and she won't be able to after she sees it."

"I think it'll bring her some closure. Yunie needs that."

"I don't know . . ."

"Trust me. I know Yunie. She'll be ok with it."

Now, she wasn't so sure if she was right, but it was too late to take it back. By now Yuna had watched it, probably more than once. What a terrible friend Rikku was, dropping a bomb on her like that and then just taking off. She felt bad. Really bad.

She looked at the pile of bolts and sighed. "Poopie," she muttered to herself. 

"Hey Firecracker," Gippal said. "Where's that bolt I asked for an hour ago?"

"Hunh?"

"The bolt?"

"Oh, heh, I, uh, didn't find it."

Gippal reached down and selected a bolt from the top of the pile. "Right here."

"Sorry," Rikku said. "I've got a lot on my mind."

"I'd tell you to take a break, but it seems you've already taken one," he chuckled and riffled Rikku's hair.

"Stop that," she complained. "I'm not your puppy."

"What's with you today?" Gippal said. "You're not yourself."

"Just thinkin' 'bout Yunie."

"You feel bad about giving her the sphere, don't you?" he said. "I told you, you should have left it alone."

"I don't feel bad about giving it to her, you dummy," Rikku fired back. "I feel bad about dumping it on her and then taking off."

Gippal crossed his arms. "That_ is_ a pretty crappy thing to do."

Rikku punched him in the arm. "Just for that, I'm taking you with me. We'll comfort Yunie together."

"Somehow, I saw this coming," Gippal mumbled and shook his head. 


	3. Chapter 3

**The Things We Do For Love**  
_A FFX-2 Fan Fiction_

* * *

**Chapter Three**  
_Choices  
_

------------

Lenne sat in the VIP box for the Blitzball tournament, a perk of being not only a Summoner, but headliner of the previous day's festivities. Though the VIP section had the very best view of the game and was catered by the best restaurant in town, Lenne was having trouble concentrating on the game. Though Yunalesca had reassured her that her actions the day before had been appropriate, she felt that she'd spoken out of place. Now, things between Bevelle and Zanarkand seemed tense and she feared it would only get worse. 

_"The Abes are up three with two minutes left in the game, folks. Looks like they'll be taking home another Jecht cup unless the Killika Beasts can score four goals in the next two minutes."_

"That's right, Billy-Bob. The Abes have a stellar team this year. Rookie player, Tidus, seems to have inherited his father, Jecht's talent, and star player, Shuyin, everybody's favorite player this year, are both paying at the top of their game tonight. Never before has Zanarkand seen two Bitzballer's like this on the field at the same time. "

"I agree, Jethro. No one has a chance against this powerhouse duo. Such raw talent. I believe we are watching history in the making, folks."  
  
On top of that, she couldn't get the image of that giant machina out of her head. It seemed less of a dream than a premonition of what was to come. She hoped that it was just stress causing it. It was too horrible to be real. She wanted to ask Yunalesca about it, but she hadn't gotten the chance. Besides, it sounded crazy. Certainly the Zanarkand Temple didn't have a Machina like that. 

_"And Shuyin's got the ball! The Abes are on the offensive again, and they're going for it!" _

At the mention of Shuyin's name, Lenne was on her feet. She cheered and clapped, though she felt as if she were faking it. 

_"Shuyin passes to Tidus! Tidus grabs the ball and shoots . . . . GOAL! Game over! The Abes take the cup for the third year in a row!"_

Lenne whistled and cheered for her team and for her man. Though she hadn't paid much attention to the game, she knew he'd done his best and she was proud. They would be celebrating tonight. Perhaps that would lift her spirits a little and take her mind off the situation with Maester Yu and the dream. 

She hurried down the stands, not waiting for the post game show, and went to meet Shuyin at the locker room. 

The corridor was pandemonium. There were teenage girls _everywhere._ They bounced around and giggled and squealed over their favorite player. Everywhere, pods of girls debated which player was the cutest, which one had the nicest eyes, and the best body. Lenne smiled to herself at this and rolled her eyes. As a Summoner's apprentice, she hadn't had time to think about boys when she'd been that age. That was, until there was Shuyin. 

She went to the security desk and greeted Valadya, one of the guards. Without a word, he opened the gate and let her in. Behind her, a group of girls raised their voices in protest.

She entered the locker room, which was no less chaotic than the hallway outside. The entire team relived plays during the game and individually declared themselves masters of the universe. The testosterone level in the room was so high, Lenne briefly considered running for cover. They'd be celebrating tonight and she was glad. A party was just what she needed to take her mind off her troubles. 

Shuyin swept her up into his arms. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" he asked.

"Looking for trouble," she replied. She kissed him on the mouth. "You were great."

"Yes I was," he agreed as he set her back on her feet. "Go home and put on your dancing shoes, baby, 'cause we're going out."

* * *

Yuna didn't understand, and Auron hadn't explained. He'd left her alone on the beach to decide for herself what she wanted to do without a word of explanation. She was angry with him for showing up out of nowhere, making statements that implied there was some way to find Tidus, and then he'd vanished as quickly as he'd appeared. Almost everything he'd said had been cryptic and now she was troubled and confused. Could it really be possible to find him? Was there some way she hadn't thought of yet? 

Even more confusing was his final statement before he'd disappeared:

_"Gather your friends around you. You'll need them."_

Yuna wouldn't ask her friends to accompany her on yet another quest to find Tidus. They'd already been through it once, and it wouldn't be fair to ask them to do it again. They had their own lives to live, their own problems to deal with. They had jobs and children and responsibilities. Auron should have known that she wouldn't want to put her burdens on their shoulders once again, especially for something that amounted to little more a wild chocobo chase. If she did this, she'd do it on her own.

She paced her apartment trying to decide what she would do. Dump Baralai and go looking for answers? Try to put Tidus behind her and move on? She didn't know. She'd thought she was ready to move on. 

Lulu knew something had upset her and had spent an hour spouting pragmatic statements about how it was good to be married, about how Baralai was a good match and she'd be a fool to think otherwise. The people of Spria would rejoice at their marriage - the High Summoner who defeated Sin marrying the Praetor? What a wonderful thing. As the wife of the Praetor, Yuna would be in a unique position. With Baralai's help, she could restore order and trust in the powers that guided Spira on it's road to recovery. It was practical. It made sense. 

Poor Lulu. She thought Yuna's foul mood was due to a case of cold feet, when it was so much more than that. She had not shown Lulu the sphere. Lulu didn't know the real source of her misery. If she had, perhaps she would have played the big sister and comforted Yuna, but there still would have been some kind of speech about how she owed it to herself to move on. 

Yuna still didn't know what to do. Everything sucked. She flopped on her couch and stared up at the ceiling, depressed and lonely. Fat tears had just begun to roll down her cheeks when she heard Rikku's voice at the doorway.

"Yunie? Anybody home?"

Yuna wiped her cheeks and sat up. "Come in," she called out. She hoped she didn't look as if she'd been crying. 

Rikku and Gippal entered, followed by Baralai, who was probably the last person she wanted to see at that moment. "What a surprise," she said, happy to see them, but at the same time, put off because they'd come right in the middle of her sob fest. 

"Gippal and I decided to see how you were doing," Rikku said. "And when we got here, Baralai was just getting off the boat from Luca. So, here we are!"

"It's nice to see you," she said, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

"Yuna, are you all right?" Baralai asked. He placed his hand on her arm. "You look like you've been crying."

Yuna was embarrassed. "I'm fine. I was just resting."

Rikku shook her head. "You were never a very good liar, you know," she said. "It's the sphere isn't it?"

"How did . . .?"

"'Cause I know you so well," Rikku said cheerily. "You can't fool me."

Yuna looked at her feet and then sat down. "It's not just the sphere, Rikku," she said. "Auron said to gather my friends around me, and here you are. Not everyone's here, but . . ."

"Auron?" Rikku asked. She sat beside Yuna and took her hand. "Yunie, Auron's dead."

"Of course I know he's dead," Yuna said. "But, dead or not, he was here last night." Yuna explained her conversation with Auron the night before. While she talked, everyone took a seat and listened intently. The story didn't make sense and it sounded crazy, but she could tell by their expression that they believed her. 

"So Auron's dead, but he's more than just dead?" Rikku said. "And Tidus was a dream, but not?"

"What does that even _mean_?" Gippal asked. 

"I don't know," Yuna said. "And I don't know if I want to find out."

"Oh, Yunie," Rikku sighed. "What are you going to do?" 

"I don't know," Yuna said again. She hated the note of desperation she heard in her voice. "If I don't find out what Auron meant, I may regret it for the rest of my life. But if I follow my heart . . . "

Rikku looked at her, sympathy in her eyes. "You poor thing. This must be tough."

Yuna nodded. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "Rikku, what am I supposed to to?"

"Only you can figure that out, Yunie, but whatever you decide, I'm behind you, one hundred percent. Gippal too."

"Hey!" Gippal exclaimed. 

Rikku looked at him and smirked. "Where ever I go, I _know_ you'll follow, so you might as well not fight it."

Despite herself, Yuna laughed. She knew from experience that Gippal was crazy about Rikku and would do just about anything to please her, whether he let on or not. He pretended to be annoyed with her, but it was just an act and everyone knew it.

"I need to think about it for a while," Yuna said. "Perhaps I should spend some time at the Temple."

"I think that's a good idea," Baralai said. "The Fayth may not be there any more, but I still find the Temple a comfort in difficult times."

"Me too," Yuna admitted. "Rikku, you should go visit with Lulu. She's dying for company. Wakka too."

"Okie dokie!" Rikku replied. "Come on, Gippal." The tiny Al Bhed girl grabbed Gippal by the hand and practically dragged him out the front door, leaving Yuna and Baralai alone.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence between them. Yuna couldn't meet his eyes, and he seemed unable to speak. He sat down on the couch beside her and put his arms around her. Yuna welcomed his comforting gesture and leaned her head into his shoulder.

"Yuna," he whispered, "I knew I was done for as soon as I watched that sphere."

She pulled away. "Baralai . . ."

"No, it's ok. I understand. I saw how much you loved him, and how difficult your journey was together," he said. "If there's any chance that he's out there somewhere, then maybe you should try to find him."

"Baralai . . ."

He flashed a sad smile at her. "I wouldn't want you to marry me when you aren't ready to give your heart away. You'd never be happy with me if you didn't find out for sure. That's why I wanted you to have the sphere. I love you, and I'd like for you to love me back, but your happiness is even more important to me. I _want_ you to be happy. I want you to have no regrets about any of the decisions you've made."

"Baralai," she said, "Are you telling me you want me to look for him?"

"If it'll bring you peace of mind, I think you should go for it. I'll even help you look, if you like."

Yuna was astounded. She'd underestimated Baralai's inner strength. It took a strong person to give up their own happiness in order to make another's dreams come true. He was more like Tidus than she'd imagined. In the end, hadn't he done the same? This unselfish act made part of her want to give up her search and be with him. Part of her wanted to give up on the whole silly quest and settle down. It was a simple life, an easy one. She could picture it. She and Baralai getting married, having children. Growing old together. It was easy and predictable.

Easy and predictable. But would it be happy? Would she really be able to completely give her heart to Baralai, without regret?

She didn't know.

"Are you sure this is what you want me to do?" she asked. 

"I'm positive," he said. He took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I want you to be happy."

Yuna began to cry. Baralai hugged her again and pulled her into his lap. He understood her far better than she had ever realized. Baralai as a good man, better than most and she recognized that she might lose him if she chose to case after a ghost and came up empty handed. 

"Thank you," she whispered and got to her feet. 

A new journey was about to begin, and she needed to be strong. 

Trouble was, she wasn't sure where she was supposed to start.

* * *

"Auron, you understand what it is that we've asked of you?" The Fayth asked. 

Auron nodded. He looked out at the waterfall and remembered how speechless he had been the first time he'd seen it. It still left him without words, though he was used to it by now. This was where he came to think. The roar of the water and the dew soaked air calmed his nerves. 

"Changing the past is no delicate matter."

"I understand," Auron said. "I will do my best."

"You may only accompany Yuna as far as Zanarkand. Then, you return to us."

"What if she needs help?"

"You may not provide any assistance once she reaches Zanarkand. She will have guardians for that."

"And if she fails?"

"Then the entire course of history will change for the worse and we will fade away. Spira will die."

Auron was frustrated. He had failed the Fayth more than once. His first attempt, the pilgrimage with Lord Braska had failed. He had not understood what was expected of him. The second, Yuna's pilgrimage he had also failed. He'd stuck his nose where it didn't belong because of a promise he'd made to a friend, and it had earned him a one way ticket into servitude. This was his last chance to become part of the Fayth. 

"Why must Yuna be the one to do this?" Auron asked. "Hasn't she done enough for Spira?"

The Fayth laughed. "Yuna has already earned her place among the Fayth, that is true."

"Then why?"

"Because she is connected to those she must reach. She knows their story."

"Lenne and Shuyin."

"Yes," the Fayth said. "And Tidus."

Auron shook his head. "You are sending her to witness his death. It will break her."

"It will motivate her."

Auron disagreed. He had watched over Yuna for the last three years. He had seen how she'd mourned the boy. She'd lost him once, and Auron didn't believe that she would survive losing him again.

"I know you do not understand our reasons, Auron, but believe that all of this is necessary," the Fayth said. "Now go. Guide her to Zanarkand."

* * *

Tidus had to admit that he was a little jealous of Shuyin. His older cousin had it all. A brilliant career as a ball player, a great apartment and a gorgeous, talented girl to go home to at the end of the day. It wasn't a bitter kind of jealousy, it was more of a longing to have the kind of life Shuyin had. Shuyin was lucky all the way around. He had parents that loved him, that had been there for him and encouraged him to do whatever made him happy. Tidus hadn't been so fortunate. His father had disappeared and was presumed dead. His mother, longing for her missing husband had died of what his neighbor had called a broken heart. 

Even at that young age, Tidus had wondered, _what about me?_ Was a child not important enough to stick around for? Was there something wrong with him that made his mother not care if he survived? Jecht had been everything to his mother, and when he'd disappeared, she'd fallen apart and left him to fend for himself. He wanted to hate her for that, but had ended up hating his dad instead. If he hadn't gone to practice drunk, maybe his mother would still be alive. 

He supposed it could have been worse - at least Auron had stuck around to take care of him. Not that Auron was the greatest parent in the world, but at least he was there. At least someone was looking out for him.

He should have been happy. The Abes had won the title and he had a new "Rookie of the Year" trophy to put on the shelf at home. There were thousands of adoring fans falling at his feet everywhere he went, yet he felt like the loneliest guy in the world. He only had Auron to go home to, and that in itself was depressing. Auron wasn't exaclty forthcoming with praise, which was something Tidus needed and deserved more than anything from the one trustwothy adult in his life.

The waiter passed his table and he grabbed another beer from the tray. He'd already had too many, and he was aware that his team mates were keeping count, since his father had become an alcoholic, but he didn't really care what they thought. Not tonight. He was supposed to be celebrating, and he was determined to look like he was. Let them judge if they wanted to.

Across the room, there was a commotion.

He wasn't surprised to see his cousin had sat down at the piano for an impromptu recital. Even more entertaining was the sight of a drunken Lenne preparing to sing for everyone who would listen. They were quite the pair, Lenne and Shuyin. The Golden Boy and the Girl Next Door. Except they were much more than that. Both were gifted in more than one way, and of that, Tidus was also envious. 

He watched the pair, half amused, and half depressed by the scene they were causing. This was clearly a performance for one another and not the crowd. Others just happened to be watching as they performed. While Shuyin played, his eyes never left Lenne's face, and Lenne sang only to Shuyin. It was obvious that the two were deeply in love with one another. It radiated off of them like heat from a slow burning fire. 

Though he'd told Shuyin that he'd rather not be tied down, he'd lied. That was _exactly_ what he wanted. He wanted a girl who loved him for who he was, not some groupie who knew nothing about him except his Blitz stats. He wanted a girl who was interested in more than hitching her wagon to a star. He wanted something real, something special but he doubted that he ever would find someone like that. Everyone he loved eventually ended up leaving him.

"Tidus, your coz is a trip. Is he always like this?" Merka asked. Merka was a second string player who'd spent the entire game warming the bench. Tidus didn't much care for the kid because he was too cocky, but Tidus kept his opinions to himself.

"Around Lenne he is," Tidus replied and took a sip of his beer. It had already grown warm. He set it down on the table unfinished.

"Guess you're not like your old man after all," Merka noted. 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, ya know . . . "

"Do me a favor. Don't mention my old man again." With that, he turned and walked away. 

Shuyin, who was obviously beyond tipsy, cornered Tidus as he approached the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going home. I'm tired."

"Oh, no sir," Shuyin said. He shook his head violently and blocked the exit. "You, my man, are coming out with me and Lenne."

On any other night, Tidus would have been happy to go out bar hopping with his cousin, but not tonight. He felt too down in the dumps to celebrate, even if it was in his honor. "Nah, you guys go ahead."

"It's not an option, good buddy. You were voted _Rookie of the Year_ and I am the _Most Valuable Player._ You _mus_t celebrate with us. You _must_!"

"I don't want to be a third wheel. Maybe some other time."

Shuyin patted him on the shoulder. "You break my heart, coz."

Tidus smiled. "Don't worry about it. You won't remember this in the morning, anyway."

As he left, he caught a glance of Shuyin in Lenne in a lusty embrace and felt that longing for companionship again. It hurt him to watch the way they smiled at one another. With a sigh, he walked to the elevator and hit the button.

How depressing was this? This was the biggest night of his life so far, and he was going home to his apartment before the celebration had even gotten into full swing.

And he was going alone.

* * *

Shuyin looked up at Lenne, who was dancing with abandon on the bar and felt a surge of desire wash through him. He wanted to take her home. Now. Wanted to make love to her until they both passed out from exhaustion. Wanted to make her breakfast in the morning. Wanted to spend eternity with her.

He put his hands around her waist and set her back on the floor, where she threw herself into his arms. "Dance with me," she pleaded.

With a laugh he spun her around and dipped her. Somewhere behind them, a camera bulb flashed. For a second, Lenne's face was caught in the white-blue light of the flash and Shuyin drew in a sharp breath in shock at what he saw. In that pale light, Lenne appeared to be dead, her face colorless, her eyes empty and dull, her skin waxy and her lips blue. 

An icy terror raced through him, more intense than any fear he'd ever known before.

_I'm going to lose her._

"Shuyin, are you all right?" she asked. Her brown eyes were wide with concern. 

"I'm fine," he lied. "Hey, let's get out of here."

Lenne nodded and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for taking me out. I needed this."

"So did I," he agreed. It had been a good night, until now. Still shaken, he took her hand and lead her from the club. He wanted to get her home as quickly as possible. He wanted Lenne home safe and sound where he could watch over her, protect her if needed. Driven by fear for her life, he almost dragged her out the door and down the street to the lift. 

They made it home without incident. There were no murderers or thieves waiting for them in the alleys. No hired hit men waiting in the shadows. In fact, they'd only encountered a handful of people on their way, mostly young people like themselves, all dressed in club clothes and apparently on their way home. However, he thought that once they were inside, his fear would abate but it didn't. He was still afraid that something was going to happen and she'd be taken from him. 

Lenne kicked off her high heels in the kitchen while Shuyin double checked the locks on the door. He was aware that Lenne was suspicious of his behavior, but she only watched without comment as he checked the locks on the window and peeked behind the drapes for any intruders that might be hiding there. He was glad she didn't ask any questions. It would sound crazy if he tried to explain it. 

When he checked the locks on the door a third time, Lenne took his hand and pulled him to the couch. She lay down and pulled him down beside her, took him in her arms and let him his head against her shoulder. He was grateful that Lenne was aware that something had spooked him, and that she didn't ask questions. She could read him like no one else, and it was a comfort to be in her arms where he could hear her strong, steady heartbeat for himself. There was no need for conversation now, just a need to be close to her. 

As he drifted off to sleep in her arms, the image he'd seen in the light of the camera flash came to mind again. On the fringe unconsciousness, all the could think about was how he couldn't live without her.

-------------------  
Author's Notes:

_**Thanks for your reviews and your comments! I appreciate them much**. _ The more reviews I get, the more I write! Thanks to the hit counter they've added, I know people are reading, and this one has apparently gotten a lot of hits...if you read it, please review it. 

Pretty please?

**UPDATE NOTICE: I made a mistake in the first chappy regarding Tidus' age...it was supposed to be 'Until he turned eighteen,' not sixteen. **A boo boo on my part. Actually, the problem with the age came from combining two stories...originally, the Shuyin/Lenne story and the Yuna/LoveQuest were going to be two different stories, but I decided to combine them to make it more interesting. 

** BabyRose---- ** I think you've been around since the beginning, since FFOnline, right?...you're my bestest reviewer ever. Thank you.

One review stated something about Yunalesca being Yu Yevon's daughter...if that's true, I missed it while playing FFX - will double check that info-perhaps you've confused Yu Yevon/Yunalesca with Seymore and his mother? Or have a different version of the game - I know there are at least two and the ending is different for the international version than it is for the US release...perhaps some story elements are different as well? I don't know. Anyhow, as the summary says, this story is slightly A/U, so if there are one or two changes made, that's why. Had to take some artistic liberties with this one to make it work. 

...Everybody else...thanks again for the reviews...keep 'em coming!


	4. Chapter 4

**THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE**  
_A FFX-2 Fan Fiction_

* * *

**Chapter Four**  
_The Journey Begins_

---------------------

Darkness had fallen on Besaid. The sky above was full of tiny sparkling stars and a slender crescent moon hung over the temple. On a normal evening, Yuna would have enjoyed sitting around the bonfire with her friends, finding constellations with Rikku, poking fun at Wakka . . . but not tonight. Her decision weighed heavy on her heart and her mind. Everyone around laughed and chatted amongst themselves, but Yuna couldn't share in their enthusiasm. She was too preoccupied. It felt as if she were reaching for something that was not there, seeking something she'd never find. But there must be some hope, otherwise, Auron would not have suggested that there was a way . . . .

"Yunie?" Rikku asked. "Youuuunie!"

Yuna looked up at her friend, who stood over her, a look of concern on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you."

"Yeah, obviously," Rikku said. She rolled her eyes. "You haven't heard a thing anyone's said all night."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Rikku took a seat on the ground beside her Yuna and patted her on the back. "This must be really hard."

"It is," Yuna said. "But I've made a decision. I'm going to find him, or at least find out what I can, anyway."

Rikku smirked. "I kinda knew you would."

"You did?"

"Sure. You're easy to read, Yunie, even though you try _not_ to be," Rikku said, an impish gleam in her eyes. "When I found that sphere, I knew _exactly _what would happen."

Despite herself, Yuna laughed. "Rikku!" she cried. "Tell me you didn't give me the sphere because you want to fly around the world chasing ghosts again."

Rikku grinned. "Well, I _am_ an Al Bhed. You_ know_ we have a reputation for not being able to sit still."

"So you'll go with me?"

"You betcha!" Rikku said. "Besides, I'm bored with hanging around Djose with Gippal. All we do all day is fix up machina, look at_ parts _of machina, _wires_ for machina . . . it gets old. Don't get me wrong, the pay's great and I like being there with Gip and all, but it doesn't compare to the fun we had as sphere hunters."

"You're right," Yuna agreed. "As much as I like my life here . . . it's . . . colorless."

Rikku jumped to her feet. "Woohooo!" she cried. "Yuna, leave it to me. I'll get the Gullwings back together and we'll find your man!"

* * *

Auron stood in the shadows, watching the group around the bonfire. He missed the days when life was this simple. He'd taken for granted the precious, seemingly unimportant moments in life. Moments like this one - a gathering of friends around a bonfire - the way the sky looked in those moments just before the sun set - the smell of fresh baked bread. These were things that seemed insignificant on the surface, but in retrospect became the memories that you looked back on when death stared down at you from the other side of a gun. He had never taken the time to appreciate these things. At the time, they seemed unimportant, but he now knew these were the moments that made life worth living. 

When the group broke up, all of the patrons went to their respective homes, all of them except Yuna. She stood facing the temple, looking up at the sky with her hands clasped in front of her. Even after everything she'd done and seen, she was still so innocent. She'd witnessed corruption and seen death, yet she seemed untouched by the evils that seemed determined to touch her. She had not been tainted by anything she'd seen so far, and after everything, she still had hope. Auron had known men who had become bitter and despondent under lesser circumstances. Auron himself had lost his will to continue living long ago. But Yuna still had hope. 

Auron knew it was false hope, and he felt guilty. It was hope he'd given her, under false pretenses, to motivate her into action. Once again, she would do the will of the Fayth and her reward would only be more sadness. It was with regret that he had approached her. He was ready to rest. He was barely human anymore, and he had to depend on Yuna to succeed or else he would walk Spira, unsent for eternity. It pained him greatly to have to do this.

When he was certain Yuna was alone, he stepped out of the shadows. "So you have made your choice," he said.

Yuna turned to him, a little startled at the sound of his voice interrupting the silence, but not surprised to see him there. "I had a feeling you'd come tonight," she said. "And yes, I've made my decision."

Auron nodded. "This will be a difficult journey."

"When has it ever been easy, Auron?" When she met his eyes, he saw there were tears in them. They reflected the dying firelight and spilled down her cheeks like twin streams of liquid fire. 

"I suppose no journey is easy, Yuna."

Yuna sat down and pulled her knees to her chest. "So what do I do, Auron? Where do I go? What do I even look for?"

"You must go to the temples. Speak with the Fayth."

She shook her head. "They Fayth are gone."

"No. You're wrong," Auron said. "They have stopped dreaming, but they are not gone."

Yuna looked surprised. 

"Go to the temples. Seek the Fayth. They will guide you."

"Will you accompany me Auron?"

"Yes. We leave in the morning."

Yuna got to her feet and looked at the temple again. "I'll let Rikku know, then I shall go to the temple."

* * *

The morning after the Blitzball tournament, the Abes victory was emblazoned upon the front pages of all the local news papers. There was a very nice black and white shot of Shuyin and Tidus beneath the caption and Lenne clipped the photo and article to add to her scrap book. Since the beginning of Shuyin's career as a professional ball player, she'd kept articles, scores, fliers and photos in a scrap book that she hoped to show their children and grand children one day. 

Fortunately, there had been no word from Bevelle regarding Maester Yu's feelings about all the Machina in Zanarkand, and she'd had no haunting dreams last night. She decided the dream was no more than that - just a dream, brought on by the stress of everything going on. Her dark mood had lifted and she felt like her old self again. 

Shuyin, however had been acting a little weird since the club the night before. He was more clingy than usual, wanting to be with her from the moment they'd entered the apartment last night. He'd repeatedly checked the locks and windows before they went to sleep, and he'd done the same upon waking. Even now, he occasionally checked the doors and peeked out the windows, searching for some imaginary threat. She supposed it was due to the end of the blitz season and he didn't have anything better to do. However, it was almost as if he were trying to protect her from something, but when asked, he would not give a definite answer as to why. She didn't mind the extra attention, she just didn't understand his sudden paranoia.

Presently he was at the piano, working on a new song and it was driving her a little crazy. Normally, he wrote jazzy or romantic pieces, but this one was dark and angry. Not a song she liked at all. 

She got up from her place at the table and sat beside him on the piano bench. "Please," she said. "Stop."

He lifted his hands from the keys. "You don't like it?"

"It's fine," she said. "It's just not you."

"I play what I feel."

"I know," she said. "But I'd like for you to be able to tell me what's on your mind."

He shrugged and put his arm around her. "I guess I'm just a little grumpy 'cause the blitz season is over."

"Are you sure?" She was suspicious of his answer. It had to be something more than that, something deeper. He loved Blitzball, but it wasn't his entire life. The end of the season had never got him down before. Usually, he was happy for the break. He would have a full month to relax before the pre-season training began.

He nodded. "I'm just worn out from the last few weeks of practice," he said. "How about we take a vacation? Go somewhere quiet for a couple of weeks?"

"That might be fun," she agreed. "Oh. But, I have to be here because Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon are going to Bevelle. I have to stay here in case anything happens."

Shuyin got up and went to the window. As he stared out at the city beyond, his hand lifted, almost as if on it's own, to check the lock. She shuddered at the thought of whatever he might be afraid of. Shuyin was never afraid of anything. He'd made the long pilgrimage with her, fought fiends that were so tough that Lenne hadn't thought that she would make it. But Shuyin would smile at her and keep fighting. 

Whatever was bothering him, bothered her too.

"I wish you wouldn't put the temple before me," he said.

"Shuyin, this is my job," she said. "Just like Blitz is your job."

"I've never put Blitz before you," he said in a quiet voice. "And I'd gladly give it up if you ever wanted or needed me to."

"Shuyin . . . " She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She leaned her forehead against his bare back and sighed.. "When Lady Yunalesca returns, maybe we can go to that little island you were talking about. Spend a few weeks lounging in the sun . . . . what do you say?"

"I'd say that sounds great," he said. "We can swim in the ocean."

"And look for sea shells."

"And drink those tall drinks with umbrellas in them."

Lenne smiled. "I knew I could cheer you up."

"Yeah, so did I," he said. He grinned at her, a little sheepish. "So you didn't like my song?"

Lenne shook her head. "It was . . . violent, dark."

Shuyin nodded. "It's the damnedest thing. I dreamed about this giant machina . . . and that song."

* * *

Yuna entered the Chamber of the Fayth with her heart pounding. She wasn't sure why she was supposed to be visiting the Fayth or what they could tell her that would have any bearing on her journey. Certainly they knew the answers, but the Fayth were not usually the straightforward type. They preferred to let her figure things out on her own. But it was worth a shot. 

She knelt before the hole in the floor and closed her eyes. She would pray to them, as she had the very first time she'd entered this chamber, the day she was to become a summoned. Now, she was just an average girl with a title. 

It didn't take much prayer to call a Fayth to her. One appeared only a moment after she began to pray. This one was an elderly woman, her white hair pulled tight into a bun. 

"_Spira is slowly dying, day by day_," the Fayth whispered. "_The spiral of death continues within Spira's very core._"

"I don't understand."

"_We are dying. Soon, the Fayth will be no more_."

"Why?"

"_Sin and corruption have robbed us of our souls. The ravages of the last thousand years have scarred us too badly for us to heal._"

Yuna was surprised. "Is that why the forest in Macalania is dying? Why the Sphere Springs are fading?"

"_Yes,_" the Fayth said. "_If something is not done, then Spira will die_."

"And this is something I can fix?"

"_If you are willing._"

Yuna shuddered. This was more complicated than it seemed. Auron had come to her with thinly veiled promises of finding what she sought, only to discover that there was some higher purpose, something else expected of her. She was angry that she'd been deceived. It was like dangling a prime piece of meat in front of a starving dog. 

"_Your heart is wounded._"

"Yes," Yuna agreed. 

"_You will find what it is that you are looking for in Zanarkand."_

"In Zanarkand?"

"_You are to retrace the steps of your pilgrimage. You must walk the roads you walked before, visiting each temple on the way,"_ The Fayth said.

"Why must I visit the temples?"

"_To receive the Aeons, of course. You can not complete this task without Aeons._"

Shocked, Yuna shook her head. "I thought . . ."

"_We are still able to manifest ourselves in this manner, young Summoner. We are still here, but we have had no need . . . are you ready to receive the power of Valefor_?"

Yuna nodded, though she didn't understand how any of this could be. "Yes. I am ready."

------------------------------

Yuna had returned to her home to find everyone asleep. Gippal and Rikku were snuggled together on the fold out couch and Baralai was sleeping peacefully in the recliner. She'd already told Rikku that they would be leaving in the morning, but she had not yet told Baralai. She knew he would want to go with them, but she thought it was best that he stayed behind. Spira needed a leader in these trying times, someone to hold it together. The people trusted him, they liked him and he was doing a good job of restoring order to the confused masses. Besides, it would be difficult for him to go on a journey like this. If what the Fayth said was true, then Baralai would have to face the man who had claimed Yuna's heart and accept the fact that Yuna would choose to be with someone else. 

Auron had said she needed her friends around her. She already had Rikku and Gippal aboard. Perhaps Paine would be up for another journey, but she wasn't certain her taciturn friend would agree with what she was about to do. Paine was trying hard to leave her past behind. She'd made a lot of progress, but Yuna knew that she wasn't entirely over the things she witnessed during her time as a recorder for the Crimson Squad. Those things took time to recover from and Yuna would understand if she didn't want to go.

She lay down in her bed but knew she'd be unable to sleep. She was too excited to sleep. She had so many questions swimming around in her head about what the Fayth had said. Spira had been deeply wounded. Yuna would have to find some way to fix that, but she didn't know how. She didn't have enough information and she wasn't sure she had it in her to go on another journey to save Spira, with the promise of her reward at the end of the road. 

That reward had yet to manifest itself.

Near dawn, she climbed from the bed and began to pack supplies for the trip. Without thought, she tossed in potions, remedies, and all types of medicines. Dried fruit, granola bars and juice packs. She threw in some spare ammo. 

What else?

She stared at the drawer where she'd kept all the spheres she'd found so far. She didn't know why, but she wanted to take the sphere Tidus had made for her. She wanted it close to her, to be able to watch it if she needed to. 

Yuna took the sphere from the drawer and wrapped it in a pair of socks to protect it, then placed it in her pack. 

"Take them all, Yuna," Auron whispered. 

She spun around to find him right behind her. "Don't do that!" she hissed. 

"They will remind you of why you are doing this."

"Why am I doing this, Auron?"

"Because you are the only one who can."

"So what you were suggesting, about Tidus, isn't true?"

"I'm not allowed to say more."

"I'm not going unless you're straight with me!" Yuna cried. "I'm tired of getting my hopes up, only to find out that I've wasted my time looking for something I'm not going to find, so if there's nothing at the end of this road but another battle, I want to know now!"

Auron looked her in the eye. "You will find what you are looking for."

"So there really is a way to find him?"

"Yes, but first, you must make your pilgrimage to Zanarkand." 

Awakened by Yuna's outburst, Rikku appeared at the door. "Yunie, waddaya yellin' 'bout?" she asked through a poorly disguised yawn. A second later, her eyes popped open in surprise. "Auron!"

"Rikku."

"You're going with us, right?" Rikku asked Auron. She no longer looked as if she'd just woken up.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Oh, goodie! This is gonna be just like old times . . . " she cried, then closed her mouth when she realized what she was saying. After an uncomfortable pause, she found her voice again. "Just let me get my things and wake Gippal and Baralai up and we can get this show on the road!"

"Rikku," Yuna said, "don't wake Baralai."

"Why not?" Rikku asked. She looked confused and then it dawned on her that Yuna had reasons for leaving him behind. "Oh, yeah. I guess that would be kinda weird . . . but are we just gonna leave him?"

"Leave a note," Auron said.

"Yeah!" Rikku cried. "That's a good idea. Yunie, get a pen."

Yuna was already one step ahead of her. "Rikku, be quiet," she hissed. Yuna scribbled a short note of apology to Baralai and then a note to Wakka and Lulu. She felt bad about leaving again without saying good bye, but it was necessary. She wanted to begin her journey as soon as possible.

Ten minutes later, Rikku and Baralai were ready to go. The four of them snuck out of Yuna's hut like thieves in the night, taking great care not to wake Baralai. Yuna knew it was a cowardly thing to do, but she was not emotionally able to handle a confrontation with Baralai, whether friendly or not. She might be tempted to change her mind. 

Dawn was just breaking when they arrived at the beach, where Brother and Buddy waited with the airship. Yuna took one last look around at the island before boarding, suddenly struck with the feeling that this was a journey that she would not be returning from.

--------------------------------

Author's notes:

I'm sorry if I'm posting too often. These chapters are coming fast - I can't help it. I'm that kind of writer - it's all or nothing. I'm either writing or I'm not. I can't help it! Enjoy it while it lasts...

BabyRose ---- once again, you rock!


	5. Chapter 5

**The Things We Do For Love**   
_A FFX-2 Fan Fiction_

* * *

**Chapter Five**   
_Believe_

* * *

It was Tidus' eighteenth birthday. Auron had taken him out to dinner to celebrate, and then to the local pub for a game of pool. He was grateful to have someone around to celebrate with him, even if it was only Auron. Shuyin and Lenne would be joining him later, to celebrate not only his legal adult status, but their victory last week. 

Tidus eyed the pool table before him, contemplating his next shot. He wasn't fantastic at pool, but he wasn't bad either. Tonight however, he wasn't doing so well. Perhaps that was because he was playing against Auron, who, as far as Tidus knew, was undefeated. Auron had taught him that sometimes the best offense was a good defense, meaning, that if there were no available shots, he could miss on purpose to set the balls up so that his opponent would have no shots either. He thought hard about this as he surveyed the table. After a moment, he aimed at the cue ball, hit it and it rolled into a cluster of balls at the far end of the table. 

Auron, unfazed by Tidus' attempt at playing defense, lined up a clean shot into the side pocket. It went in, smooth as butter. 

"When are you going to teach me to play for real, gramps?" Tidus asked. 

"I've already taught you everything you need to know. It's up to you to apply that knowledge." 

Tidus rolled his eyes. He glanced at the door, hoping that Lenne and Shuyin would arrive soon. He was happy for the company, since Auron could be a major drag. He knew Auron didn't mean to be that way. Auron had done his best, it was just that Auron was a man of few words, a man who'd been completely unprepared to raise an eight year old and knew even less about raising a teenager. 

"I don't know anything but Blitz," he told Auron. 

"Precisely," Auron said as he lined up another shot. 

Shuyin arrived, without Lenne. Tidus thought he looked a little lost without her at his side. 

"Happy birthday, Coz," Shuyin said and gave him a brotherly hug. 

He handed Tidus an envelope, of which he promptly opened. Inside was a gift certificate for the local Blitz store,_ Stadium _from the both of them. "Thanks man," he said gratefully. "So, where's your girl?" 

"She had some temple stuff she had to do," Shuyin said, sulking. 

"Bummer," Tidus said. "But hey, this'll be like, a guys night out, right?" 

"I guess so," Shuyin said. He nodded a greeting to Auron, who barely acknowledged him. "Who's winning?" 

Tidus glanced at the table. Auron only had one ball left on the table. "Take a guess." 

"I'm going to the bar," Shuyin said. "Need anything?" 

"Nah. I'm good." 

Auron sunk the eight ball and looked at Tidus expectantly. "Another game?" 

"No way! You've slaughtered me enough tonight," Tidus said. "You know, you could have let me win, being that it is my birthday and all." 

"In your dreams," Auron said with a rare chuckle. "The day you beat me is the day you earn it." 

"One of these days, I'll beat you, old man," Tidus said. 

"Shut up and let me buy you a beer," Auron said as he put his pool cue in it's leather case. 

Tidus went to the bar and sat on the stool between his cousin and his guardian. Auron ordered a pitcher of ale and three glasses. 

Shuyin looked drained and defeated. Tidus knew it had something to do with Lenne. Lenne was Shuyin's life, and something had happened between them, that much was obvious. Tidus had a hard time believing that there was trouble in paradise. "Cheer up, coz," he said and patted Shuyin on the back. "We're celebrating, remember?" 

"She always puts the temple before me," Shuyin said. "She's keeping secrets . . . lying about what's going on. I can't take it." 

"Man, that sucks," Tidus said. "You don't think there's anything really bad going on, do you?" 

"What, you mean like cheating?" Shuyin asked. "No, it's nothing like that. It's temple stuff and I've got a really bad feeling about all of it. Whatever's going on, it's not going to end up good. Mark my words. Something's about to go down, and she's right in the middle of it." 

Auron looked at Shuyin. "She is a summoner. You knew that when you met her." 

"Yeah, but, she's never kept secrets from me before," Shuyin said. 

"Then you must trust her," Auron commanded. "She can not tell you everything, but she will tell you what you need to know." 

"And what if she doesn't?" he asked. 

"Then it is because she doesn't trust _you _not to overreact," Auron said. The barkeep set the pitcher on the bar along with three icy mugs. Auron poured each of them a glass. 

"Enough of this," Tidus said and patted Shuyin on the back. "We're supposed to be celebrating." 

Shuyin nodded. "A toast." 

"To freedom," Tidus said, hefting his glass in the air. 

"Amen to that," Auron agreed.

* * *

Thanks to the Celsius, Yuna and her entourage arrived at the Kilika temple less than an hour after they'd left Besaid. She was glad that they were able to use the airship for this journey, for retracing the exact steps of her pilgrimage would have required at least three months of travel on foot. With the Celsius, they would arrive in Zanarkand in about three days. Yuna was thankful for that. She didn't know if she would be able to withstand another journey on foot, not with Tidus waiting at the end of the road, or so she hoped. 

"Ready Yunie?" Rikku asked. 

"I think so," she said and got to her feet. 

"Gippal, I am trusting you with my precious Yuna's life," Brother said from the pilot seat. "If something happens to her, I will do something disasteriffic to you!" 

Rikku rolled her eyes. "I thought you said disasteriffic wasn't a word," she said, "And what about me? I thought I was your precious sister!" 

"Oh, um. Gippal, keep an eye on Rikku, too," Brother muttered. 

"Relax, bro. I'm pretty sure these two can take care of themselves," Gippal said. "Isn't that right, Firecracker?" 

"You betcha," Rikku agreed. "So, let's get this show on the road!" 

Yuna, who had been quiet most of the trip only nodded and followed Auron down the steps. There was so much she wanted him to explain about this, but he had remained as silent as she had since boarding the Celsius. She wanted to demand answers. She knew he would not give them until he was ready. That was Auron's way but it didn't make it any easier for her to bear. She wanted to know exactly what waited at the end of this road. She wanted to know why she needed the Aeons. She wanted to know all the answers, and he had most of them, but until he was ready to tell, she had no choice but to do what he asked and try not to get her hopes up too much. 

Behind her, Gippal and Rikku giggled and poked fun at one another. A week ago, she would have enjoyed their banter, but today she just wanted them to be quiet. She climbed the steps to the temple, remembering the first time she'd climbed these steps. She'd cheated in the race to the top, leaving Wakka and Tidus to catch up. It had been such a happy time, even though she knew she was going to her death. 

She'd wanted it her journey to be full of laughter, and despite everything, it really had been. It had also been a journey of firsts. It had been her first time out in the world. She'd learned to place her trust in others for the first time. And, despite herself, she'd fallen in love for the first time. She'd known how risky it was, she'd known that there was no chance of the relationship lasting, but she'd been unable to stop feeling the way she did. It had been wonderful, and scary and exciting, and for a brief time, she'd had hope that they could be together after they defeated sin. She'd believed. 

In hope. 

And in love. 

And part of her still believed. Otherwise, she wouldn't be here, climbing these steps toward the temple to see the Fayth. She believed. 

"Yuna," Auron said when they reached the top of the stairs. "Before you go inside, you must understand that this is a journey like none other." 

"In what way?" 

"Everything you know and love about this world will change."

* * *

Lenne watched the sphere in horror. It had arrived at the temple, just this evening, wrapped in paper with a Bevelle postmark on the label. It was short, but in no way sweet. It was a thinly veiled threat from Maester Yu Yevon himself. It gave her chills to think about what may be coming. All the years of training, her subsequent pilgrimage to receive her Aeons, all of that might soon be needed, and she was afraid. Afraid because she knew it would cause a rift between her and Shuyin. 

Already, they were having problems. They'd had a fight just this evening over her going to the temple instead of the pub with Shuyin and Tidus. He'd been angry that Yunalesca had called her in when they already had plans. He didn't agree with the responsibilities the Temple was putting on her. He disliked the secrecy surrounding her job as a summoner, but he didn't understand that she wasn't allowed to disclose any information she was given in confidence by the temple. 

He'd known since the beginning that being a summoner was first and foremost in her life and that sometimes, she couldn't talk about it. Now, his suspicion and distrust of the temple was growing out of control, but she wasn't sure what she could do about it. He'd practically asked her to quit! 

She wondered how he would react if she were to have to go to war, without him. 

"So what do you think?" Yunalesca asked. 

"It's not good," Lenne said. "He's looking for a fight, and I don't think he's interested in negotiation." 

Yunalesca nodded. "Lord Zaon and I will be leaving in the morning. Maester Yu may not be interested in talking this through, but I've got to try." 

"Of course," Lenne said. 

"I am leaving you in charge in my absence. You may have full use of my quarters while I am gone, and of course, your young man is welcome to stay too." 

"M'lady?" 

"Someone must be here in case of an emergency. You are the only summoner experienced enough to fill my shoes. Surely you know this," Yunalesca said. 

"Yes, of course," Lenne said, knowing that Shuyin would be upset about it. "You can count on me." 

"Here is my schedule," Yunalesca said, handing her a thick leather bound book. "Just a couple of classes for the apprentices, but keep in mind, you'll probably be called on for a sending or two while I'm gone." 

Lenne nodded and thought about how she would break this news to Shuyin. He already knew that she would be in charge of the Temple while the elder summoners were gone, but she didn't realize that she would actually have to stay at the temple. He wouldn't be happy about this situation at all, but she knew she didn't have a choice. She would have to stay until they returned, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

Yuna sat cross legged on the floor in the chamber of the Fayth, wondering what she was doing here. She looked up at the Fayth that had appeared before her. She was so full of questions that she didn't quite know where to begin. 

"_Are you ready to receive the Aeon?_" the Fayth asked. 

"I'd like to ask a question first," Yuna said, "if I may." 

"_You wish to know where this road leads._" 

"Yes." 

"_You will know when you get there_." 

Yuna shook her head. "Not good enough." 

"_It is the only answer we can give you_." 

She got to her feet. "Then I won't continue." 

Suddenly the room around her shifted, changed. Tiny lights began to appear, like pyreflies in the distance. The foggy outlines of a ruined city. The image moved into focus and Yuna recognized it immediately. It was the ruins of Zanarkand, just as she remembered them. 

Then, they began to change. The crumbled buildings began to rebuild themselves, brick by brick, stone by stone. The broken walkways repaired themselves, and slowly lights came on in the windows, one by one until the entire city was lit up. Billboards blazed and people began to appear in clusters on the walkways, and the elevated trains began to run again. A thousand years of ruin had been erased and the Zanarkand of old appeared as if there had never been a war. 

To her surprise, the billboard closest to her in the vision was a larger than life rendering of Sir Jecht. Underneath his photo were the words: 

"_Congratulations Abes! Third Jecht Memorial Cup Win in a Row_." 

The billboard changed to reveal two photographs of two nearly identical faces. 

"_Abes Most Valuable Player,_" was written beneath the first photo. "_Rookie of the year,_" was beneath the second. 

Shuyin and Tidus? Could it really be? 

Amazed, Yuna sat back down. "Is this real?" she asked. 

"_Once upon a time,_" the Fayth answered. "T_his was Zanarkand before the Machina war, and before Sin_." 

"So he really _did_ live in that time." 

"_Yes_." 

"When I knew him, was he really just a dream?" 

"_Yes. He dreamed along with us. He wanted Sin to go away, just like the rest of us._" 

"Did he love me, or was that just part of the dream." 

"_He loved you so much that he chose to fade away so that you could be safe in your world. He could have continued to dream if he so chose, but he knew Sin would have come back. It was a great sacrifice._" 

Yuna still didn't understand. How could he be at the end of the road? If he dreamed along with the Fayth, that meant that he had died a thousand years ago. She stared at the photo on the billboard and realized how much she'd missed seeing that grin during the last three years. She also realized that there was no way that he could be waiting for her in Zanarkand. 

"You and Auron have promised me what I can't have," she whispered. 

"_You are wrong, young summoner. There is a way, but you must be willing to make a sacrifice, too. You must believe in us. Believe that we can make your dream come true._"

* * *

Later that afternoon, they arrived at the Temple at Djose. All around were machina in various states of disrepair and technicians by the dozen. Inside the dome, they found Paine waiting with her arms crossed. 

"It's about time," she said. 

"Hi Paine," Yuna said. 

"So what's the deal?" 

"We're going on an adventure," Rikku said. "Yunie, you wanna tell her?" 

Yuna nodded. 

"Let me guess. Someone asked you to save the world, and you said yes," Paine said. 

"Sort of," Yuna said. She explained what she had learned so far as quickly as she could. 

"So are you on board or what?" Rikku asked when Yuna finished. 

"Flying all over Spira in search of a shadow? How can I resist?" 

"Yay!" Rikku cried. "The Gullwings are on the case." 

"Rikku, you need medication," Paine said. 

------------------- 

After Djose, they headed to Macalania, which would prove to be a logistical nightmare, since the Chamber of the Fayth had collapsed into the lake some time ago. Buddy and Brother rigged up a harness that would lower Yuna into the hole, so that she would be as close as possible to the Fayth. It took longer than they'd hoped for Yuna to reach the bottom, but she managed. 

"_Dreams can come true_," the Fayth told her. This one was a young girl with pig tails and a sweet, innocent face. "_Dreams are what keep us alive. Dreams give us hope_." 

"I want my dream to come true." 

"_Very soon, Lady summoner. We have not forgotten you._" 

"What am I to do?" 

"_Spira is dying. You must prevent the damage before the damage is done_." 

"I don't understand," she said, for what seemed the millionth time. 

"_The impossible will become possible. Your dream will become real._" 

"How?" 

"_You must believe_." 

------------------- 

Notes: 

I still missed the Yunalesca/Yu Yevon connection upon replay, but that's ok. That's something I can fix in later chapters. It ties in nicely with what I've already written (but not yet posted), and only requires minimal editing. So, there. But, I still consider this a bit A/U for obvious reasons. 

And, I'm basing the Auron thing on a statement he made in the game. "I lived a long time in Zanarkand." The basic premise here is that everything is connected, sometimes in more ways than one. 

**_And to those of you who took the time to review, you are awesome! Thank you._**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Things We Do For Love**   
_A FFX-2 Fan Fiction_   


* * *

**Chapter Six**   
_A Shift In Time_

* * *

On the third day, Yuna and her companions arrived at the Zanarkand Ruins more or less on schedule. They'd visited all seven temples, plus the gorge near Mt. Gagazet and she'd received an Aeon at each location from the ever cryptic Fayth. They had not given her any definite answer, only their continued promise of her reward and their continued insistence that she believe. 

Nor had Auron come clean. He had been even less forthcoming than the Fayth had been. 

So far, Yuna figured that somehow the past was connected with all this, she just didn't know how. Time travel wasn't possible, unless you were dead. Auron was proof of that. She wasn't sure how or what they were supposed to do to fix Spira. All those battles and struggles had already happened. Sin had already happened. There was no taking it back, not now. What was done was done. 

Yuna was grateful that Paine had agreed to come along. She needed her friends to lean on, and as much as she loved Rikku, Rikku was not the type to think about what she did before she did it. Paine would bring some balance to the group, especially considering Gippal had a tendency to encourage Rikku's reckless behavior. While it was amusing to watch, sometimes, it got Yuna into trouble. 

Her friends beside her or not, Yuna was beginning to have doubts. Her gut told her that this was just a ploy to get her to do what they wanted her to do. Her heart told her to trust in the Fayth, to trust in Auron. She didn't know which to believe. 

Brother set the Celsius down just outside the Temple and Yuna prepared to disembark. 

"Wait," Auron said, blocking their path. "There are things I must tell all of you before we go to the Chamber of the Fayth." 

"Auron, you big meanie," Rikku complained. "Can't you see Yunie is in a hurry?" 

"This can not wait," Auron said. "Sit, all of you. You all must hear what I have to say." 

Yuna took a seat and looked up at Auron expectantly. This was it. What she'd been waiting to hear from him for more than a week. She shushed Rikku who draped herself over Shinra's old chair and began to swing her feet back and forth, impatient. 

"I was born and raised in Zanarkand more than a thousand years ago. Jecht was my childhood friend, someone I respected, despite his various shortcomings. He once asked me to look after his family should anything happen to him. Eventually, I ended up with custody of his only son, after the boy's mother died. You already know that part of the story. Several years later, there was a war." 

"Between Bevelle and Zanarkand," Yuna said. 

"It was every bit as horrific as the history books said it was. Many people died. Myself included." 

"But you guarded my father," Yuna said. "You were alive then." 

"I guarded Braska, but I was not alive. The Fayth felt that I had failed to protect the one person I had been charged with protecting. Many of us either volunteered or were drafted into the battle. We were unprepared, overwhelmed, and most of us died. I had failed to protect him as I'd promised." 

"And my father?" Yuna asked. 

"The Fayth gave me a second chance. Again, I failed. I did not know enough. Again, I was not prepared. I didn't understand what it was that was expected of me. Later, I was to bring the dream Tidus to Spira, to you, and failed again." 

"But we defeated Sin. How is that a failure?" 

"I got more involved than I was allowed to be," he said. "My journey ends here Yuna. I'm sorry. I can accompany you no further than the dome. Beyond that, this story is in your hands alone." 

"Auron, I don't understand. If you and Jecht were friends in Zanarkand, why didn't he know you when you found him in Bevelle?" 

"Because he was drunk. He remembered later." 

It was a weak explanation, at best, but it did make sense. Yuna was still so very confused. Auron hadn't yet explained what happened next, after he left them in the dome. 

"All of you must make a decision now. If you go inside the Temple, there may be no coming back." 

"If what I'm looking for is in that dome, I'm willing to take the risk," Yuna said to Auron. She looked at her friends. "I don't expect any of you to come with me. Please, stay if you have any reservations." 

"Are you kidding me?" Rikku said. "I'm not leaving my bestest friend in the world to do this by herself! What kind of friend would I be?" 

"A smart one," Paine said. 

"Dr. P, you gonna bail?" Gippal asked in disbelief. 

"I didn't say that." 

"I mean it," Yuna said. "I only want you to come if your willing. I'm not going to pressure anyone." 

"I'm in," Paine said. 

"Me too!" Rikku said and elbowed Gippal in the ribs. "So is the Gipmeister, right?" 

"Sure, why not," he said. "But where exactly are we going?" 

"To Zanarkand," Auron said. 

"Nothing like stating the obvious," Paine said. 

"Not this Zanarkand," Auron said. "Now go. The temple awaits."

* * *

In Bevelle, things were going splendidly. Everything was in place, everything was working out. Yunalesca was pleased. Maester Yu, the father she had not known until recently, was would soon make his feelings known to the world, and she would play along. Poor Lenne had bought every bit of their scheme. It had even made the young summoner angry, which was exactly what Yunalseca wanted. It was the perfect diversion. Perfect in every way. Zanarkand would be wholly unprepared for what was to come and they had no way to fight back. There were no weapons being manufactured in Zanarkand, of this Yunalesca had made certain. Only textiles and functional helper machina. 

Bevelle, however, was conducting the final tests on a vast arsenal of machina, designed only to attack and destroy. She was proud of her father and proud of herself. Together, they would bring change to the face of Spira, and once they were finished, Yevon would be a household name. The world would follow them. They would be the shelter for thousands upon thousands of sinners. 

Yunalesca did not feel the least bit of sympathy for the people of Spria. Her father had been right. They had become lazy, and it was time to teach them a lesson. 

All she had to do was play the role of Zanarkand's protector for a little while longer.

* * *

Yuna and her guardians entered the dome, where pyreflies swarmed thicker than she'd ever seen before. There were even more here than she'd seen on the Farplane. Everywhere the colored balls of light swirled, reflecting off of every surface. They even seemed to have become part of the walls, which pulsed with iridescent light. Yuna feared that if they stayed too long, they would be swallowed by them. 

"This is kinda creepy," Rikku said. 

"Creepy isn't the word," Gippal murmured. "I've never seen anything like this." 

"Come on," Yuna said. She lead the way to the Chamber of the Fayth, where no Aeon resided. The pyreflies followed them up the path, dancing and swirling behind them. 

Around them, the walls seemed to shift. For just a second, Yuna thought she saw images of the Old Zanarkand as she'd seen in Kilika. She glanced around to confirm it and saw only the walls of the ruined temple. 

In the Chamber of the Fayth, Yuna did not need to pray. The Fayth was already waiting for her. This was the little boy that she had become familiar with over the the last few years. 

"_Are you ready to go_?" he asked. 

"Go where?" 

"_To Zanarkand of course_." 

"We're already here," Yuna said, confused. 

"_Not this Zanarkand. This Zanarkand is dead_." 

"There's another Zanarkand?" 

"_Yes. Zanarkand of one thousand years ago._" 

Gippal shook his head in disbelief. "Do what?" 

"_It's the only way to heal Spira._" 

"You mean time travel?" Yuna asked. 

"_Yes._" 

"Is that possible?" Rikku asked. 

"_Anything is possible._" 

"And when we get there," Yuna said. "What is it that you want us to do?" 

"_Stop Yu Yevon, of course. Before he has a chance to become Sin_." 

"That sounds easy enough," Rikku said with a shrug. "We beat him before." 

"_It won't be._" 

"And Tidus?" Yuna asked. 

"_Ahh. The one you seek,_" the Fayth said. "_You will be seeing him sooner than you think. But be warned. He will not know you. Remember, it was our dream that brought him to you. He had already lived, and dreamed of his Zanarkand for a thousand years when you knew him. In this time, he still lives. He will know nothing of you or your Spira._" 

"That doesn't sound fair," Rikku said. "We do all this work, and he won't know her?" 

The Fayth laughed. "_If their love was meant to be, he will love her again._" 

"I understand," Yuna said. "I am ready to go." 

"_You understand that changing the past is delicate work. Every action you take will have an impact on the future. Should you succeed, there will have been no Sin. The friends you have made along the way will not know you, should you choose to return to your own time._" 

Yuna nodded. "The laws of causality." 

"_Exactly._" 

"So your saying, if we defeat Yu Yevon a thousand years in the past, then there will be no Sin, and Yunie's father won't be dead when we get back," Rikku said. 

"_Yes. The summoners, and their guardians would be safe, if there was no sin,_" The Fayth said. 

Yuna hadn't thought of that. What a wonderful thought - to have her father back. "But, if that's the case, then I would never have met Kimari, or Lulu or Wakka because I would never have gone to Besaid." 

"_Nor Auron, or any of the people you have met on your journey_" the Fayth said. "_It presents a problem, of course, but if you succeed, it will be your choice in the end. You may choose to stay in Zanarkand, or you may choose to go home. Just know that home will be vastly different when you return._" 

"Yeah, like, Lulu and Wakka would never have gotten married and had Vidina, 'cause Chappu wouldn't have died fighting Sin," Rikku said. "Oh, bummer." 

Yuna nodded. "I understand," she said to the Fayth and she looked at her friends. "It's not too late for you to back out." 

"No way," Rikku said. "You'll still be my cousin in this time or that one." 

"Gippal?" 

"Hey, I wanna see these legendary Machina." 

"Paine?" 

"I've got nothing better to do," she said with a shrug. 

"Then let's go," Yuna said. She turned to the Fayth. "We're ready." 

"_One thing before you go. Do not reveal too much about this future until it's absolutely necessary,_" the Fayth said. "_You must gain their trust first._" 

As it had in Kilika, Zanarkand began to rebuild itself, but this time, it was no mere image. The walls around them began to change for real. The cracks in the walls began to mend, the walkways became level and the scattered shards of stained glass began to fly back into their frames. It was like watching a film in reverse. 

Yuna felt a strange pulling sensation that made her slightly nauseous. It felt as if the floor was dropping out beneath her. She looked down at her feet to confirm that the ground was still there. It was there all right, however, the rocks and bits of debris moved and shifted under her feet. 

The damp smell of decay faded and was replaced by something cleaner - salty ocean air at first, then the musky scent of temple incense filled her nostrils. The broken floor tiles clattered back into their respective places and the pillars stacked up by themselves. 

When the pyreflies faded, the candles relit in their fixtures, and people appeared around them. They were no longer in the Chamber of the Fayth. They now stood just inside the newly repaired temple doors, in the newly repaired main dome. 

Yuna looked around, speechless. This was the most spectacular temple she'd seen yet. There were ornate glass works of art on the walls, each depicting a different Aeon and illuminated from behind by a candle. They glowed in the dim light, and bathed the ornate mosaic floor in soft colors. Everything was gilded in gold, and heavy crimson velvet draperies hung from the ceiling. 

She had expected to land in the middle of a war, but all seemed well. She glanced around at the people praying. They gave no sign of panic or stress. They were just ordinary people, saying their daily devotionals to the Fayth. 

"This can't be for real," Rikku whispered. 

"It must be," Yuna said. She reached out and touched the wall. It was smooth and solid and untouched by ruin or age. 

"Is there something I can help you with?" A monk asked. Yuna noticed he was dressed in a bejeweled robe of crimson and gold. Such a thing would not have been allowed in the Temples of Yevon, at least, not in her time. It was too decadent, too finely made, the fabric too expensive to serve as a temple robe. She reminded herself that the practice of Yevon had not yet been introduced here, that summoners were still considered strange, if they were considered at all. 

Yuna thought fast. "I am a Summoner, and these are my guardians," she said. "If it's not too much trouble, we would like an audience with the High Summoner." 

"Of course, My lady," the monk said humbly. "Please, wait here. I will inform her of your arrival."

* * *

Lenne had somehow managed to convince Shuyin that staying at the temple would be like a mini vacation, without him blowing up at her. At the very least, she hoped, he'd take a look around, see the nuns and monks and realize that there was nothing suspicious about the Temple. She hoped it would calm his fears, at least for a little while. 

Yunalesca had been right when she had said there wasn't much on the schedule. In the last three days, Lenne only had to teach the daily apprentice classes and had performed one sending. It wasn't so bad, really. She wouldn't mind doing this all the time. And today, she was giving Shuyin and Tidus a private tour of the Temple, in hopes of calming Shuyin's nervousness about being here. He'd been inside the temple many times, but he'd never had a behind the scenes look at what went on behind the closed chamber doors. He would see that the temple was benign and with any luck, he'd stop worrying. And Tidus knew little to nothing about the practice of summoning, and Lenne thought it would be a good way to introduce the boy to the temple. 

While she waited for the two young men to arrive, she straightened up Lady Yunalesca's private rooms. They weren't out of order, but she needed something to occupy her hands while she waited. 

There was a knock at the door and she opened it, expecting to see Shuyin and Tidus. Instead, a monk stood outside, his hands clasped together. "Sorry to disturb you, Lady Lenne, but there are some visitors waiting to see you." 

"Visitors?" she asked. 

"Yes M'lady. A summoner and her guardians." 

Lenne nodded. "I will be there in a moment. Thank you," she said. She flipped through Yunalesca's appointment book and saw no record of anything on the books other than the classes scheduled for today. Usually, when a summoner visited another temple, an appointment was made for an audience with the temple's high summoner. This was a surprise visit, she supposed, perhaps spies from Bevelle, and she decided it was best to be cautious. 

She entered the main dome and approached the group of strangely dressed people standing before the passage to the Chamber of the Fayth. "Hi there," she greeted them. "I am Lady Lenne." 

A girl about her own age bowed and then flashed her a friendly, but surprised smile, as if she had not expected to see someone like Lenne before her. If Lenne didn't know better, there was a hint of recognition in the girl's eyes. "I am Lady Yuna, of Besaid. And these are my guardians, Rikku, Paine and Gippal." 

"Pleased to meet all of you. So, are you here to receive the Aeon Yojimbo?" Lenne asked, noting that Yuna's guardians stared at the temple around them in awe. 

"No," Yuna said. "I have already received the Aeons." 

"I see," Lenne said, curious. "So what brings you to Zanarkand?" 

"I wish to serve here at the Temple," Yuna said. 

Occasionally, summoners came to study with Yunalesca, but it wasn't often, and the never arrived unannounced. Something like this should have been in the appointment book, unless this summoner had come without permission from her temple. 

"Lady Yunalesca is away on business," Lenne said, taking a closer look at Yuna. She sensed this girl was experienced, that her pilgrimage had been particularly difficult. In her eyes, Lenne saw wounds that ran deep, as if she'd lost something dear to her some time in the recent past. Lenne sensed that Lady Yuna was a dedicated summoner, and a strong one. It was enough to convince her that this girl was not a spy from Bevelle. 

"I'm sorry to hear that," Yuna said. 

"It's all right," Lenne said. "I'm glad you are here. We could use a few experienced summoners around here. Right now, there are only three, myself included." 

"Thank you. I'm happy to be here." 

"I'm giving a tour of the temple in just a little while. If you'd like, you can come along, get reacquainted with the place," Lenne said. "And, I'll go ahead and have our guest rooms made ready for you." 

"I appreciate that," Yuna said. "But you don't have to go to the trouble." 

"It's no trouble. We rarely have guests, so the rooms are almost never used. You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

* * *

Yuna hoped she'd been convincing. She hadn't really lied yet, but he knew she would have to in the future. It would be difficult to keep the secrets of the future under wraps. It would be difficult not to give anything away. 

She found it hard to believe that the first person she'd met in Zanarkand was Lenne. It hadn't occurred to her that their paths would cross again, but she thought she'd done well in disguising her surprise. She supposed that Shuyin would be somewhere nearby, and that thought made her nervous. But, she reasoned, the Shuyin they'd known wasn't the real Shuyin. There must be some good in him. He had loved Lenne enough to die for her, after all. 

Everything was connected, of course, but seeing Lenne was a surprise just the same. 

"This is freaky," Rikku said. She rested her hand on her forehead. 

"You got that right," Paine said. 

"So, Yunie, what's next?" Rikku asked as they waited for their tour of the temple. 

"I don't know," she said. "I guess we wait and see what happens." 

"We travel a thousand years into the past and 'wait and see' is all we have?" Paine asked. 

"She's right," Rikku said. "It feels kinda nuts just to be here. It doesn't seem real." 

"Keep your voices down, we don't want to make anyone suspicious," Yuna warned. The last thing she wanted to do was raise anyone's alarm. She wanted them to trust her, so that when the time came, they'd believe in her enough to trust what she said was the truth. She needed Lenne and Shuyin especially to trust in her, otherwise, coming to Zanarkand would turn out to be a massive waste of time. 

The temple door opened and a pair of young men entered the massive dome. They were both blonde and of athletic build, though still too far away for Yuna to make a positive identification. Her breath caught in her throat as they drew closer. She couldn't breathe . . . . couldn't think. Could they be . . . 

The pair stopped just a few feet away, close enough to confirm that she had found what she'd come for. Her heart began to pound, and she had to force herself not to throw herself at him and cry all the tears she hadn't cried in the last three years. She had to tell herself that he wouldn't know her, had to grab Rikku's hand to keep herself from grabbing him, just to make sure he was real. 

"Yunie," Rikku whispered and gave her hand a squeeze. "It's him." 

"I know," she choked out. She couldn't make herself stop staring. She hoped he didn't notice. 

Tidus glanced over at the group, caught Yuna gaping at him and smiled at her. That grin . . . it was what she'd waited to see for so long. She suddenly felt lightheaded and she couldn't breathe. 

"Yunie, you ok?" Rikku asked. 

Yuna's vision went cloudy. Her heart thundered in her chest as if it was trying to get out and she swayed on her feet, overtaken by a dizzy spell. 

Then, she collapsed to the floor. 

---------------------- 

Notes: 

Mwaa ha ha ha...I love cliff hangers. 

BabyRose...Oops...Baralai was supposed to be sleeping! I'm a crappy editor. But, you are correct. It was supposed to be Gippal. 

**REVIEW!**   



	7. Chapter 7

**The Things We Do For Love**   
_A FFX-2 Fan Fiction_

* * *

**Chapter Seven**   
_Tangible Shadows_

* * *

When Tidus had been invited to the Temple, he'd imagined a boring tour and a boring history of the summoners. He'd gone more for a lack of anything better to do than to satisfy his interest in the Temples. What he got instead was something much more interesting. The moment he'd laid eyes on the brunette, who'd been staring at him since he and Shuyin walked in the door, he felt as if he knew her from somewhere. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't remember where they'd met. If they'd ever met at all. He figured he'd remember a girl as attractive as this one. 

Being the flirt that he was, he had grinned back at her. At that her face had drained of color and then she'd passed out cold, right into the arms of a tall blonde guy with an eye patch. _Her boyfriend?_ he wondered as he moved forward to help out if he could. He hoped she was okay. He bent down beside the elfin blonde girl and peered at the brunette's face. She was even prettier up close. 

"Yunie," the blonde cried as she gently slapped at the girl's cheek. "Yunie, wake up!" 

The brunette's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at her friend. "Rikku?" 

"The one and only," the blonde, apparently Rikku, replied. "You ok? You passed out." 

"I couldn't breathe," the brunette said as she sat up. She glanced up at their concerned faces and spied his among them. A look of pure terror crossed her face and she tried to get to her feet. Was she afraid of him? 

"Tidus has that effect on the ladies," Shuyin said with a chuckle and a wink. 

"Relax, Yuna," a tough looking girl with short silver hair said. She flicked a lighter in front of the girl's face and examined her eyes. Yuna squinted but submitted to the girl's scrutiny. Satisfied that Yuna was fine, the tough girl nodded and pocketed the lighter. "Can you get up?" 

It was then that Tidus noticed Yuna's gorgeous eyes. One was a bright emerald green, the other the color of a tropical sea he'd seen once in a travel brochure. They were intriguing, and in them he saw everything there was to know about her. She looked fragile, but those eyes that told him she was a fighter. They were strong eyes, but kind and accepting. Warm and gentle, but determined and unflinching. 

When he forced himself to look away from her face, he noticed the holstered pair of revolvers and spare ammo packs on her belt. He was right. She _was_ a fighter. 

A fighter that couldn't seem to take her eyes away from his. Likewise, he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of hers. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop staring either. 

He was baffled by the way it made him feel to have this girl staring back at him so intently, as if memorizing every detail of his face. 

"I'm fine," she said and swatted her friend's probing hands away. "Really." 

The eye-patch guy, helped her to her feet. "Easy there, superstar," he told her. "Don't want you to come crashing down again." 

_Superstar_? 

"Yunie, you sure you're all right?" Rikku asked. 

"Yes. I'm fine now," she said and proved it by standing on her own. 

Tidus held out his hand to her. "I'm Tidus," he said, suddenly nervous. There was something about this girl . . . his gut told him that she was nothing like the others. 

"Yuna," she said and took his hand in hers. Her handshake was firm, strong, and so very familiar. Again, he felt as if he knew her from somewhere, as if he'd known her well once. Neither of them seemed able to tear their eyes away from the other. The fear in hers had been replaced by barely concealed joy. 

"Have we met somewhere before?" he asked. 

Rikku made a choking sound and her emerald eyes grew large and excited. Tidus shot her a curious look and Yuna sent her a scathing glare. Tidus couldn't help but notice that all her friends watched their meeting with what felt like undue interest. It made him feel like a bug under a microscope. 

"Perhaps we have," Yuna said, turning her attention back to him. "In another life." 

He couldn't help but smile back at her. "Maybe that's it." 

"So you're a summoner?" Shuyin asked. 

Yuna nodded. "From Besaid." 

"Besaid, hunh?" Shuyin said. "You know, they have the _worst_ team in the entire Blitz league." 

Yuna giggled. "They mean well." 

"So have you guys seen much of Zanarkand yet?" Tidus asked. 

"This was our first stop," Rikku piped up. "We haven't had a chance to take the grand tour yet." 

"Hey, Shuyin, waddaya say we take them on the insider's tour after we're done here?" Tidus asked, needing an excuse to spend more time with Yuna. He wanted to know more about her. 

"That sounds like a plan, coz," Shuyin said and gave him a brotherly pat on the back. He shot a sideways glance at Tidus and winked. Shuyin knew what was on his mind, and he was giving his stamp of approval. 

Lenne appeared before them and smiled at the group. "I see everyone's here. Shall we begin our tour?"

* * *

Gippal took Rikku's hand as they walked along one of the elevated pathways through the heart of Zanarkand's downtown. She was enthralled by the bright lights and billboards that covered every square foot of her surroundings. She'd seen images of Zanarkand a few times before, but it didn't compare to seeing it in person. She was still having a hard time thinking of all this as real. It seemed too incredible to be real. 

Everything was lit up, even the huge buildings that towered to the sky, taller than Home had been. The billboards advertised a vast array of products, from shampoo to pet food to vacation packages. All around were neon signs of every color and shape, a plethora of stores and music blared from various nightclubs they passed on their walk through the city. Downtown was the most colorful place Rikku had ever seen. She could imagine living here and loving it - a city that never slept. 

Up ahead, Tidus and Yuna walked side by side, chatting just out of ear shot. Rikku wished she could hear what they were saying. This Tidus may not know about the dream Tidus, but the spark was _definitely_ there. It had been obvious the minute the two had locked eyes in the temple, and Rikku was glad. With any luck, Yuna would soon have what she had sought for so long, this time for real. Rikku hoped so, anyway. After everything she'd been through, Yunie deserved to be happy. 

"Rikku, check that out," Gippal said and pointed at the massive Blitz stadium off in the distance. "I bet this place has some machina that none of us have ever seen before." 

Rikku rolled her eyes. Gippal was all about machina. He even _dreamed _about machina. Rikku knew because she'd heard him talk in his sleep more than once. She could imagine him spending his time here going absolutely ga-ga over every piece of machina they happened to encounter. Rikku hoped that she wouldn't have to pry him away every time he encountered some new contraption that he'd never seen before, but she knew she would probably have to at some point. 

"I think I'm going to like it here," Gippal said. "We don't have this kind of technology. Can you imagine what I can learn here?" 

"Boys and their toys," Paine muttered. 

Rikku laughed. "You've got that right. I think the only person who'd be happier here than Gippal would be Shinra." 

"It's a pity he couldn't come," Paine said. 

"That would be scary. Boy genius on the loose in the City of Machina? I shudder to think." 

Paine chuckled and tried out her best imitation of Shinra. _"I'm just a kid."_

Rikku giggled. "You're pretty good at that." 

"I've had a few years to practice." 

Rikku nodded at the pair that walked just ahead of them. "What do you think?" 

"They've renewed my faith in destiny," Paine said in a flat voice. 

"Think maybe destiny has someone in mind for _you_?" Rikku teased. 

"That's a topic I'd rather not discuss." 

"Oh, come on, Dr. P. There has to be _someone_ in your past that you fell head over heels for," Rikku said. "And how come you and Noojie-Woojie never hooked up?" 

"Paine and _Nooj_?" Gippal said with a sneer. "As if." 

"What's wrong with that?" Rikku asked, mildly offended. "I think they'd make a cute couple." 

"Never would have worked out. They would have killed each other first." 

"How 'bout Baralai?" Rikku asked. 

"Paine needs a bad boy, don't ya Dr. P?" Gippal said with a grin. "Baralai's too nice." 

Paine's cheeks were flaming, and she glared at the both of them from the corner of her eye. "Minus ten respect points for both of you." 

"Ouch," Rikku said. "How many does that leave me?" 

"Six." 

Gippal laughed and wrapped his arm around Rikku. He pointed to the pair of soon to be love birds. "Check that out." 

Rikku followed his gaze and was delighted to see Yuna and Tidus walking hand in hand. "Booya!" she cried. 

"She didn't waste any time," Paine remarked. Her tone was sour, but Rikku could tell she was thrilled for Yuna.

* * *

Yuna hardly paid attention to the scenery as Tidus and Shuyin lead them through Zanarkand, pointing out the highlights. She could scarcely believe that he was walking beside Tidus, the one she'd spent the last three years mourning. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as she'd imagined their reunion would be. In her fantasies, he'd somehow returned, become real and of course, remembered all their struggles together. This Tidus was absolutely in the dark about the history they had together. 

Of course, the Tidus she'd fallen for was the dream version. This one knew nothing about her. 

But, this one was real. 

Which meant there actually was a chance this time for them to be together. 

"So, Yuna," Tidus said, "You're a summoner." 

"Yes," she said. 

"Not to sound like an idiot or anything, but what does a summoner _do_?" He asked. "I mean, I kind of have an idea, about the Aeons and all, but what do you do with them?" 

Yuna smiled. This question reminded her of the early days, when Tidus had first appeared in Besaid. He'd been so clueless. "The Aeons are part of the Fayth. They're the protectors of Spira. Summoners can use them in battle, should there be a need. Summoner's also send the dead to the Farplane." 

"So, you like, fight fiends?" 

"To get the Aeons, a summoner must go on a pilgrimage to each temple. It's a long journey, and in some places we do have to fight off the fiends. It's not much fun, but it's either fight them or be eaten by them." 

"Don't you ever get scared?" 

"No. I'm not afraid of anything." It was true. She worried sometimes and she had her regrets, but she'd never been afraid, not even when she faced the toughest of foes. She hadn't even been afraid when she began her journey to defeat Sin and believed that she would die. Instead, she'd been happy to do it, to be the next summoner to bring the calm. She'd believed that it had been worth her life, and she wasn't scared. 

"Wow," he muttered. "Not even death?" 

"Not even death," she confirmed. "I've seen what it's like on the other side, and there's nothing to be afraid of." 

"You've been to the Farplane?" 

She nodded. "It's beautiful there. Some people think it's creepy, but I think it's peaceful. Happy." 

Tidus was quiet for a moment as he digested her words. Then he said, "I've never met anybody like you, Yuna. I mean, I know Lenne, but she said she was afraid of the fiends." 

"It's ok to be afraid," Yuna said. "The trick is to get over your fears and do what you have to do to survive." 

"That's an interesting way to look at it," he said. "But really, what I meant was that all the girls I know, except Lenne, are kinda silly. They do whatever their friends do, like whatever their friends like, and they only like me 'cause I play Blitz. You don't seem like that. You're, I dunno, more mature or something like that." 

Yuna laughed. It was a classic Tidus statement. "I don't know about maturity," she said. "I can act silly too, sometimes, especially when I'm with Rikku. She has a tendency to encourage me to do things I wouldn't usually do." 

"What about your other friends?" He asked. 

"Well, Paine is the exact opposite of Rikku. She's quiet and kind of serious, but she's someone you want on your side when there's trouble. And Gippal, he's Rikku's boyfriend. He's almost as bad as she is." 

"Sounds like an entertaining bunch," Tidus remarked. "Wish I had friends like that. You know, people to rely on when the going gets tough." 

"It must be tough, growing up without a family," Yuna said without thinking. 

Tidus stopped and looked at her, shocked. "How did you know that?" 

Yuna looked at her feet. She had to think of a lie, and quickly. "Well, you know, you _are_ famous," she said. "Word gets around." 

He looked thoughtful for a minute and then continued walking. "I forgot about that," he said and scratched his head. "You know, it's weird. I feel like I've known you a long time, and we only just met. When I saw you in the Temple, it was like looking at a friend I hadn't seen in ages." 

Yuna took his hand and smiled. "I felt the same way."

* * *

Shuyin returned to the Temple after walking his cousin to the train station feeling happy and less stressed than he'd been all week. For some reason, the arrival of this Summoner, Yuna and her guardians seemed like a good omen. Lenne seemed happier to have experienced help at the Temple, and Tidus was already half in love with Yuna. Everyone seemed happy, and that made him happy too. 

He entered Yunalesca and Zaon's private quarters and found Lenne lying on one of the luxurious velvet lounges in the sitting area. She looked up and smiled at him, and the lines of worry that had creased her face for a week were gone. "Hi there, lover," she murmured. 

"Hey, baby," he replied and kicked off his shoes. He took a seat beside her on the lounge and she reached up to massage his shoulders. 

"How was the tour?" she asked. 

"It was fine," he said. "I don't think Yuna paid much attention, though." 

"Why not?" 

"She was too busy bonding with Tidus," Shuyin said. He smiled to himself at the memory of the pair walking hand in hand, even though they'd just met. It was good for Tidus, though. Shuyin hadn't seen Tidus this gone over a girl before, and Yuna seemed like a stable, sensible girl. Not at all like the groupies that frequented the sphere dome during practice and home games. 

"Really," Lenne said, surprised. 

"He's quite taken with her," he said. "And it looks like she's pretty head over heels herself." 

"That's great," she said. "Tidus needs a girlfriend." 

Shuyin smiled to himself. "He said he felt like she was the one." 

Lenne leaned her forehead against his back. "Hmm. Just like us." 

"My thoughts exactly." 

"Well, good. I'm happy for him," she said. She leaned back against the arm of the lounge and placed her feet in his lap. "What did you think of them?" 

Shuyin thought for a moment. "I liked all of them. The one girl, Paine, she's a little off, but I've got a feeling she's as tough as she looks. The rest of them seem like a lot of fun." 

"Did they seem . . . trustworthy? I mean, you don't think they have something to hide, do you?" 

Shuyin looked at her, surprised. Had she seen or heard something that would make them suspicious? "I thought they were ok. Why?" 

"It's just that, Yunalesca said there have been some strange things going on lately. I just want to be cautious." 

"You want me to keep an eye on them?"

"No, I'm sure everything's fine," she said with a smile. "I feel like we can trust them."

* * *

Later that night, Lenne had the dream again. She sat up straight in the bed, gasping for breath. Was this her last breath before she died? Had the bullet pierced her heart? Where was Shuyin? She felt her chest and found it unmarked by any wound and when she looked around, she found herself in Yunalesca's quarters, not a dungeon. Shuyin was beside her, sleeping soundly. 

She let out a breath, glad that she had not woken him this time. There would be more questions. She got out of bed and pulled on a long satin robe. There would be no more sleep for her tonight. She decided she'd go to the office and go over some paperwork and have a cup of coffee. Morning would come soon anyhow, and Yunalesca was due back some time today. There was much to do before she returned. 

She entered the main dome and saw Yuna staring up at the stained glass rendering of Valefor. Lenne was surprised to see that Yuna was still awake after such a long day and such a long journey. She walked across the room to stand beside her. 

"Valefor was my first Aeon," Yuna said quietly. 

"Mine was Bahamut." 

"So you're from Bevelle?" 

"No, but I studied there when I was a girl," Lenne said. 

"So did I. Until I was seven." 

"I began my studies when I was nine. You must have been exceptional for them to allow you to study so young. 

"I suppose," Yuna said. She turned her attention away from the stained glass. "Can't sleep?" 

"No," Lenne said. 

"Me either," Yuna said. 

"Because of Tidus?" Lenne asked with a smile. "Shuyin told me you two hit it off pretty well." 

Yuna blushed. "It shows?" 

"A little," Lenne said. 

"I suppose it does," Yuna said. She suppressed a giggle. 

Lenne decided that she liked Yuna. Her instincts told her that this girl was trustworthy and that she could count on her assistance if an emergency should arise. "You have a lot of Guardians. Most Summoner's travel with two at the most." 

Yuna nodded. "I wanted my journey to be full of laughter and with people I loved and trusted." 

"They must be very good friends." 

"They are," Yuna said. 

"Perhaps tomorrow, we could train together," Lenne suggested. "There's no one here for me to spar with except Yunalesca, and I've trained with her so much that I can predict her every move." 

"Of course," Yuna agreed. "I'd be honored. 

The two were silent for a moment. Lenne had planned on finishing up paperwork, but she was glad for Yuna's company. It had been so long since she'd had female companions, someone to confide in. She hoped that maybe Yuna could become that kind of friend. 

She decided Yuna should see the sphere from Bevelle. She suspected that it would not be a secret for much longer anyway, and she thought maybe Yuna could give her opinion. 

"There's something I should show you, especially since you wish to serve our temple," she said to Yuna. "It's a sphere from Maester Yu." 

The look on Yuna's face suggested that she already knew everything.

* * *

Notes: Fluffy goodness. Action and turmoil to come. 

Hey, guys? Thanks to that hit counter, I _know _you're reading, and reading all the way through. So please be kind: Review. **Review or in the next chapter, I'll blow Zanarkand up using Vegnagun and everyone will die! **Just kidding. 


	8. Chapter 8

**The Things We Do For Love**   
_A FFX-2 Fan Fic_

* * *

**Chapter Eight**   
_Wargames_

* * *

Tidus lay on the couch in his apartment. He couldn't sleep. His thoughts were all tangled up in Yuna. He couldn't stop thinking about her. It had to mean something that they both felt as if they'd known each other their whole lives, even if they hadn't. Maybe it was destiny. In the space of a few short hours, he'd fallen for her. It defied logic and reason, but it felt right. 

Even so, he was a little afraid to place his faith in destiny. It was hard to believe in something permanent when everyone he'd cared about had eventually left him. His gut told him to trust this, to trust that Yuna would be there. It told him that Yuna was reliable, loyal. She wasn't like any girl he'd ever met before. When she said she wasn't afraid of anything, he believed her. Her indomitable courage had been in her eyes. 

He got up and went to the kitchen. He knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight, so he put on a pot of coffee and turned on the mini sphere screen to keep him entertained and his mind off of Yuna. 

It was a nice idea in theory, but as he sat at the kitchen table sipping his coffee, his mind kept returning to the Summoner. Maybe he'd ask her to dinner. 

"Any particular reason you're awake at this hour?" Auron asked. Tidus had been so deep in thought, he hadn't noticed his surrogate parent standing in the kitchen doorway. 

"Couldn't sleep," he replied. He didn't want to talk to Auron about his crush on Yuna. Actually, he wouldn't know _how_ to talk to Auron about it. He and Auron had never discussed the important things, or matters concerning the heart. Tidus didn't know if Auron didn't know how to discuss it, or if it was because almost twenty years ago, he'd lost both his wife and daughter. 

Auron had married right out of school, and just days before their second wedding anniversary, his wife Tera and his three month old daughter Morane were riding home on the elevated train when it derailed. Every soul on board was lost. To Tidus' knowledge Auron had never loved another. 

Auron poured himself a mug of coffee and sat across from Tidus. "How does it feel to be an adult?" he asked. 

"Not that much different than being a kid." 

Auron nodded and took a sip of coffee. There was a long silence between them, which was normal. Auron was a man of few words. 

"Now that you're of legal age, I expect you'll want me to find my own residence," Auron said. 

"Nah. You can stay if you want," Tidus said. He shrugged and then grinned at the taciturn man. "I've gotten used to you. Besides, I don't think I could handle all the silence around here if you took off." 

"Smart ass," Auron muttered. 

Tidus laughed. "Seriously, you can stay as long as you want." 

"I appreciate that." 

Truth be told, Tidus didn't want Auron to leave. Before he turned eighteen, he couldn't wait to be on his own, with no one there to question his actions, but he knew that Auron had no family and no where to go. Auron had been there for him after his mother had died. It wouldn't be right to just throw him out on the street. 

On the Sphere Screen, the early morning news began, and Tidus knew without being told that it was time to shut up. Auron demanded absolute silence while he watched the bland newscasters give half hearted accounts of the local and world news. 

Tidus didn't pay much attention to the news, other than to watch the latest Blitz scores and the weather. He was on the verge of drifting back into his thoughts of Yuna when the news anchor announced that there was breaking news from Bevelle. He leaned forward and fixed his eyes on the screen. 

_"This just in: Grand Maester Yu Yevon will hold a press conference in the Palace of St. Bevelle this afternoon. Though the subject of this conference has yet to be confirmed, early reports suggest the Maester is unhappy with the current use of Machina in Zanarkand. As you all know, the Temples have gained considerable power in the world government in recent years, and Maester Yu has a strong following throughout Spira. Again, these reports are _unconfirmed_. Stay tuned to Zanarkand 3 for more on this developing story. Back to you Helion."_

"He's unhappy about the Machina in Zanarkand?" Tidus said, mildly baffled. "What's wrong with Machina?" 

"My guess would be that it makes people lazy," Auron said. 

"So you agree with him?" 

"No." 

Tidus got up from his place at the table and rinsed his coffee mug out in the sink. His thoughts turned to Yuna. He had to go to the temple. Something ugly was about to unfold, and he wanted to be there, not only for her, but for Shuyin and Lenne too.

* * *

Yuna and Lenne stayed up all night talking in the office. Lenne had showed Yuna the sphere of Maester Yu and Yuna had agreed that it was a bad omen. 

Yuna wanted to tell her everything, but she couldn't. She wanted to show Lenne the sphere of Vegnagun, but it was not time yet. She did not like the idea of lying. The situation was too dire not to tell Lenne what was about to happen but the Fayth had told her not to reveal her secrets too soon. For now she'd have to play along and only tell the truth when she had to. 

They talked about other things besides Bevelle, too. Lenne had asked what it was like to live in Besaid, if Yuna had ever been in love, why she'd become a summoner. Lenne told her all about Shuyin and about Lady Yunalesca and Lord Zaon. She also filled her in on the temple duties, which sounded fairly simple 

Still, Yuna kept expecting the bomb to drop. She truly had expected to land in the middle of a war. Things were too calm. She had a feeling the situation would escalate quickly, and probably soon. She might as well relax while she still had the chance. 

Shortly after dawn had broken, there was a knock on the office door. 

"Come in," Lenne called. 

A monk stepped inside with Paine and Rikku close behind him. 

"There you are!" Rikku cried when she saw Yuna sitting at the desk. "We were about to send out a search party!" 

"I didn't mean to worry you," Yuna said by way of apology. "I couldn't sleep." 

"I wonder why?" Rikku teased and elbowed Paine in the ribs. Paine looked as if she wanted to retaliate, but in the interest of the peace, she restrained herself. Yuna shot her a thankful glance. 

"Coffee?" Lenne asked. 

"Please," Paine said. 

"Don't give Rikku any," Yuna whispered. "She's naturally caffinated." 

Lenne giggled and poured Paine a mug full of steaming coffee with cinnamon and then refilled Yuna's. 

"When Shuyin wakes up, I'll send him out for breakfast. There's a fabulous deli a block away that has the best Chocobo egg sandwiches," Lenne said. 

"You don't have to do that," Yuna protested. "I don't mind eating with the monks." 

"No trouble at all," Lenne said. "Besides, you don't want the Temple food. It's not the best." 

"Bad, hunh?" Yuna said. 

"Awful," Lenne confirmed. "So, Yuna, how about that duel you promised me?" 

"Ready when you are," Yuna said.

* * *

Lenne couldn't believe that Yuna had defeated every one of her Aeons. Yuna had said she was a little rusty, and Lenne had expected that they'd be evenly matched, but that was not the case. Yuna was so far above her in fighting class it wasn't even funny. Lenne wondered how Yuna had gotten so advanced. Her pilgrimage must have been extremely difficult, or maybe she'd gone looking for fiends for the purpose of leveling the Aeons up. Either way, Lenne imagined that even Lady Yunalesca would have trouble defeating this summoner's Aeons. 

"You're . . . really good," Lenne said, breathless. The effort of the battle had left Lenne exhausted from the effort. She sat heavily on the Temple floor. 

"You're no pushover, either," Yuna said. She wiped her brow and took a seat beside her. "Besides, you didn't get much sleep last night." 

"Neither did you," Lenne said. Yuna was trying to make her feel better about losing, and while she appreciated the thought, it made her realize that he still had much work to do. "How did you get them to inflict so much damage?" 

Yuna shrugged. "If you want, I can teach you a few tricks," she said. 

"Would you?" 

"Of course," Yuna said. She grinned at Lenne and wiped away a few strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes. "We summoners help one another out, don't we?" 

"Thanks," Lenne said. "I appreciate it." 

Lady Yunalesca had never offered to teach Lenne any 'tricks' during their training sessions. She had only told Lenne that she needed to practice more, that her Aeons would only grow stronger through diligent use and experience. 

Out of curiosity, Lenne asked, "How much did you pay Yojimbo when you received him?" 

Yuna smiled to herself. "A million Gil." 

Lenne was shocked. She'd only been able to afford 3500 gil. "A million Gil? Where did you get that kind of cash?" 

The summoner laughed. "Rikku has a talent for . . . pilfering Gil in battle. She can steal anything off of any fiend, anywhere, any time. It's the ultimate get rich quick scheme." 

"That's an interesting talent," Lenne muttered. 

"Don't worry," Yuna said. "She only steals from fiends. It comes in handy on the road, though. If we run low on supplies, Rikku can probably find what we're looking for." 

"I'll have to get her to teach me that trick," Lenne laughed. She imagined her pilgrimage would have been much easier with an ability like that. No scrounging for change at the shops, no spending their last Gil on potions or ethers. 

"She'd probably be happy to." 

A worried looking monk shuffled his way toward them. The man wrung his hands together as he approached. "Lady Lenne, there is news from Bevelle." 

Lenne got to her feet, worried. "Another sphere?" 

"No, my lady. On the Sphere Screen." 

"He's going public," Lenne muttered. She glanced at Yuna, who looked worried, but not surprised. As much as Lenne liked her, she got the feeling that Yuna was hiding something, that she knew more about this situation with Maester Yu and Bevelle than she let on. 

Maybe Yuna was having the dream too. Maybe that's why she'd come to Zanarkand. 

"Let's go watch," she said. She hesitated a moment and addressed the Monk. "If Shuyin is awake, please send him to the Deli for six of the regular. He'll understand what I mean." 

"As you wish, my lady." 

Lenne led Yuna back to the office and switched on the Sphere Screen. A reporter stood on the Highbridge in front of the Palace of St. Bevelle. Outside, people milled about looking uneasy. In the back ground, Lenne noticed a line of Warrior Monks guarding the entrance to the Temple. 

_"There are unconfirmed reports of trouble brewing between the Zanarkand and Bevelle Temples regarding the use of Machina. While neither Temple has issued an official statement, Grand Maester Yu Yevon will hold a press conference early this afternoon. Whether these unconfirmed reports are true, tension is building on the streets of Bevelle. Already the Warrior Knights have arrested fifteen unruly dissenters and as the situation escalates, more arrests are expected."_

_"That was Bandeli reporting on location in Bevelle,"_ the anchor said from the news desk. "_While the situation in Bevelle seems on the verge of revolt, here in Zanarkand things are relatively quiet. Many people were baffled this morning when the announcement was made about Maester Yu's impending press conference, and so far, Zanarkand police have not arrested anyone in connection with the announcement. It seems most Zanarkanites are more confused by the news than upset by it and many have gone to the Zanarkand Temple seeking answers. We will be reporting live from the Zanarkand Temple at the top of the hour and we will keep you updated on this situation as it unfolds."_

Lenne sat back in her chair, shocked and terrified. This was not good at all. 

She glanced at the clock. The Temple would open it's doors in less than a half an hour to the patrons, and she knew they would be mobbed with concerned citizens wanting to know what was going on. She was glad Yuna was there to help her out. She would not have been able to handle the situation alone. 

"This is going to get ugly," Yuna said. "The people of Zanarkand will only stay quiet so long." 

Lenne agreed. "I don't know what to do," she said. "Lady Yunalesca usually handles the press. I know as soon as our doors open for the day, people will be asking questions." 

"And if we don't have any answers, it's going to start looking like it does in Bevelle." 

"Should we issue a statement?" 

"I don't know," Yuna said. "What would we tell them?" 

"I don't want to lie to anyone. We tell our followers to trust us. If we lie, they'll turn their backs." 

"We have to make a decision," Yuna said softly. "And they deserve to hear the truth, or at least as much as we can give them without causing a riot." 

Shuyin entered the office followed by Tidus, who held a large bag of delicious smelling breakfast and a cardboard tray of designer coffee. "Hey babe," Shuyin greeted. His eyes were large with concern. "What's going on? Tidus was telling me there was something on the news about that Yevon guy and there's like, a thousand people and a bunch of reporters waiting outside." 

Lenne groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Thanks for bringing breakfast," she said. She looked at Yuna, who seemed a little nervous in Tidus' presence. She might have smiled at the two if the situation hadn't been so crazy. 

Shuyin crossed his arms and looked at her expectantly. "Babe, tell me what's going on." 

Lenne leaned back in her chair. She didn't want Shuyin involved in this. Though he was her best friend and lover, he had no real connection to the temple. There was no reason to tell him if he wasn't part of it. "Yuna, gather your guardians and go to the conference room. Shuyin, Tidus, go on into Yunalesca's suite and wait for me there." 

"Lenne, I want to know what's going on!" Shuyin demanded. Lenne flinched at his tone. 

Yuna too Lenne's hand in hers. "They need to know too," she said gently. "I think we're going to need them." 

Lenne wanted to be angry with Yuna for trying to involve Shuyin and Tidus in this mess, but she couldn't be. Still, she didn't want to put Shuyin, or his cousin in a dangerous situation. 

"Lenne," Yuna said. "If you push him away, it will only lead to disaster. I promise you. You need your friends and loved ones around you, to help you through this." 

She eyed the summoner with suspicion. Now she was certain that Yuna knew more than she was letting on. Lenne knew she wasn't a spy from Bevelle, but there was too much coincidence surrounding her arrival. There was too much knowledge in her eyes. "What do you know? Tell me." 

"First, promise me you won't shut him out," Yuna whispered, still clutching Lenne's hand. "Trust him, and trust me." 

Lenne glanced at Shuyin. She could see the anger in his eyes growing hotter by the minute. He looked as if he were ready to explode. The smoldering rage in his eyes frightened her. What would he do if she didn't tell him? She didn't think she wanted to find out. 

Finally, she returned her attention to Yuna and nodded. "Ok. I'll trust you, but you have to tell me what you know. Right now." 

Yuna agreed and withdrew a sphere from her pocket.

* * *

Yuna was nervous as she switched on the Sphere of Vegnagun surrounded by guards. She hadn't wanted them to see this yet, but it was do or die. Lenne knew she had a secret, and now was the time to tell it or else be regarded with suspicion, maybe even as a spy. 

At least this sphere didn't reveal any future events, it was just Vegnagun and the guards on patrol. 

When the colossus came into view, Lenne gasped and made an awkward choking sound. "It's real . . . " she whispered. 

Yuna looked at her, questioning. "Are you all right?" 

"I dreamed about it," Lenne whispered. There were tears in the corners of her eyes. 

Shuyin cleared his throat. Yuna glanced up at him. He was pale and looked shaken. "So did I," he choked out. 

Lenne looked at him sharply. "The song . . ." she whispered. 

He nodded. "Yeah." He took a seat on the couch by the window and stared out for a moment. His face had drained of color and he looked frightened. 

So both of them had dreamed of Vegnagun. 

"So what is that thing?" Tidus asked. He looked as frightened as Shuyin did. 

Yuna perched on the edge of the desk and switched the sphere off. "It's called Vegnagun. It's a weapon that Bevelle has developed for the purpose of attacking Zanarkand." 

"How do you know all this?" Lenne asked. 

"Maybe I dreamed of it too," she said. It wasn't completely a lie. After all, she had dreamed of Vegnagun after they'd found the awesome sphere, before she'd known anything about Lenne or Shuyin. 

"So I guess this isn't just a dream," Shuyin said. "I mean, if we're all having it . . . and there's a sphere of it . . . I don't even want to think about this." 

"Wait," Lenne said. "Maester Yu is against Machina. What you're saying makes no sense." 

"That's what he says," Yuna agreed. "But what if it's a diversion? To cover up what's really going on in Bevelle." 

Lenne looked thoughtful. "If what you're saying is true . . . " 

"It is," Yuna whispered. "I wish it weren't true, but Vegnagun is very real, and very dangerous." 

"Where did you find this sphere?" 

"Mt. Gagazet," she said. It was a lie, but she couldn't exactly explain the truth without telling the whole story. 

Lenne sighed and rubbed her eyes. "All right. I believe you. It makes no sense, but I believe you," she said. "So first things first. We have to decide what to disclose to the public. Yuna, gather your guardians together and meet me in Yunalesca's Suite. We'll talk about this over breakfast." 

Yuna was relieved that Lenne took what she had to say seriously. She had seen no reason to hold back any information. The situation was escalating and some disclosure had been necessary. She didn't regret letting them know about Vegnagun. 

"Yuna, you mind if I come with you?" Tidus asked. 

"Sure," she said. He grinned at her even though she could tell he was worried. 

"Great," he said. He turned to Lenne and Shuyin and said, "I'll see you guys in a few minutes." 

"All right," Lenne said. "I'm going to tell the monks not to open the Temple doors until further notice. I don't want this place to be mobbed with reporters until we decide what we're going to do." 

Yuna agreed. She left the office, Tidus close behind her. 

"So things are gonna get really bad, hunh?" Tidus asked. 

"Yes," she said quietly as they headed for the guest quarters. "I don't think there will be a peaceful resolution." 

Tidus paled. "You mean we're about to go to war?" 

"That's exactly what I mean."

* * *

Shuyin followed Lenne to the private suite in a daze. He couldn't quite believe what he'd seen on that sphere, yet it was the same place, the very same image he'd seen in his dream. While it had been disturbing, he'd never thought of it as anything more than a dream. And how was he to know that Lenne had the very same nightmare? 

He was angry that she hadn't told him. Did she really trust him so little? 

"Lenne?" he said as they closed the door behind them. "Are you all right?" 

She nodded and set the bag containing breakfast on the table. She selected one of the coffee cups from the tray and took a sip. "I'm just overwhelmed." 

He took a seat beside her. "I need you to trust me," he said. 

"I do trust you." 

He took her hand in his and shook his head. "Not enough." 

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't want to keep anything from you." 

"From now on, I want to know everything," he said. "I need to know because no matter what, I'm here for you and I'm going to be involved in everything you do." 

"It may not be possible to tell you everything, Shuyin. The Temples have their secrets," she began. 

"The hell with the Temples! All this secret society stuff is getting old, and it's obvious that things aren't exactly on the up and up. I mean machina used as weapons? Weapons built in a sacred place? It doesn't exactly sound like a group I'd trust with my life." 

Lenne nodded. "I understand what you're saying, but you're going to have to trust me, too." 

"I do," he said and wrapped his arms around her. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to you, that's all." 

"I know you don't," she whispered back.

* * *

Yuna, Tidus and her Guardians entered Yunalesca's private suite and Lenne asked everyone to have a seat. "I guess everyone here knows about Vegnagun now," she said. She was tired, and frightened. She hoped Yuna would have a good idea what to do about this, otherwise, they were in trouble. 

They all nodded. 

"And I'm guessing that it's the real reason you've come to Zanarkand." 

"More or less," Yuna said. She took one of the coffee cups from the tray and sipped it. 

Lenne nodded slowly. "There's something I don't understand, Yuna. How do you know it's in Bevelle?" 

"The guard uniforms. Those are warrior monks." 

Lenne had missed that. She'd been so shocked to see her dream image on the sphere, she hadn't paid much attention to the guards. "Of course," she said, feeling stupid. "So what do we do about it?" 

"I'm certain Maester Yu will not back down. He wants war. He's building machina that are capable of leveling Zanarkand and he'll use them. I say we prepare for it." 

"That's a great idea," Shuyin said, "But how? Zanarkand has no army, no weapons. We barely have a police force because we're a bunch of pacifists that don't do anything but party and play Blitzball." 

"Amen to that," Tidus said without humor. 

"Exactly," Yuna said. "He knows that Zanarkand has no means of defending itself, except for a few summoners and police officers. He knows that Zanarkand won't expect an attack, which is why we have to prepare for war, even if it doesn't come to that." 

"It seems like such a rash solution," Lenne said. 

"I know," Yuna said, and Lenne understood that Yuna was not the type to encourage war. "But what will happen if he does attack, and we have no defense?" 

"Zanarkand will fall," Shuyin said. 

Lenne still had the feeling that Yuna knew more than she was letting on, but decided not to push her to spill it this time. Whatever she knew, she'd reveal when it was necessary. Until then, Lenne would let her be. "All right. So we prepare. How?" 

"The first thing we need is an Army," a voice said from the doorway. 

"Auron!" Tidus exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" 

"I had a feeling you'd be here, since you're friends with a Summoner." 

"It's nice to see you, Auron," Lenne said. She noticed that Yuna and her guardians all looked shocked by Auron's arrival. "Please, have a seat. Everyone, this is Auron, Tidus' former parental guardian." 

"How'd you get in?" Tidus asked. 

"I pretended to have a message for the Summoner from Remiem Temple." 

"Didn't know you were capable of lying, old man," Tidus said with a chuckle. 

"Desperate times . . . " he said with a shrug. 

There was a pause as looks were exchanged and thoughts were left unspoken. Lenne was frightened of what was to come. 

"An army of some kind would definitely help," Yuna said. "And, as much as I hate to say it, weapons. Machina weapons." 

"This is all great in theory," Lenne said, "But where are we supposed to convince a city full of pacifists to fight? And where in Spira are we supposed to find machna weapons? I mean, it's not like there's a surplus of them just sitting around somewhere." 

"You just leave that to us," Rikku said with a wink. "Right Gippal?" 

"Sure," Gippal agreed. "It's not hard." 

"You guys know how to build weapons?" Tidus asked. 

"We can build just about anything," Rikku said. "We're Al Bhed." 

Lenne was surprised, since Al Bhed didn't believe in the Temples. "And you two are Guardians?" 

"Yep," Rikku said. "We may not believe in the temple stuff, but we believe in Yuna, and that's all that matters." 

"That's nice," Lenne said. "It's too bad not everyone's like you. If you guys can build us some weapons, I guess it's worth a shot." 

"We might need some help," Gippal said. "Are there any other Al Bhed in this city?" 

"Yeah," Tidus said. "There's the Al Bhed sector just west of here. You can probably find a bunch of techies willing to help out. They don't much care for Bevelle." 

"That solves the machina problem, but what about the army?" Auron asked. 

Everyone looked at Yuna. It seemed that she had taken over, and Lenne was thankful because she didn't even know where to begin. While she'd spent more than three months on the road on her pilgrimage, she considered herself relatively inexperienced. She had a feeling that Yuna, for whatever reason, had been fighting a long time. Yuna knew about battles, and Lenne was willing to surrender control to the stronger girl. 

"I don't know just yet, but we'll need one. We can start here if need be," Yuna said. 

"How?" Tidus asked. "I mean, Auron gave me a few fencing lessons when I was younger, but it's not something I have a lot of practice doing." 

"Me either," Shuyin said. "The only time I used a sword was on our pilgrimage." 

"Then at least you have a foundation. You won't be starting out from scratch," Yuna said. "Paine? You want to give them a few lessons?" 

"Do I have a choice?" Paine asked, her tone flat and mildly sarcastic. It was the first time Lenne had heard her speak. Of the group, she was the one that Lenne wasn't quite sure about. Was she just quiet or was there some kind of hidden agenda behind her stoicism? Only time would tell, Lenne supposed. 

"Good, Tidus, Shuyin, you guys can start training with Paine as soon as we finish up here," Yuna said, ignoring her friend's sour tone. 

"Auron can help too," Tidus said. "He's pretty good." 

"And what about me?" Lenne asked. 

"I can teach you, like I promised," Yuna said. "Plus, we can get you trained on a weapon of some kind." 

"You can show her how to use the dresspheres," Rikku said. 

"Good idea," Yuna said. "We've got plenty of grids." 

"Dresspheres?" Lenne asked. She'd never heard of such a thing and her curiosity was piqued. There was much more to these people than she'd ever imagined. They were either the best thing that could have possibly happened at this point, or they'd end up her worst nightmare. She hadn't yet decided which. There were too many secrets and Yuna was too calm. Lenne didn't want to put her complete trust in her just yet, for this reason only. 

"I'll explain later," Yuna said. 

"Ok, so we all start training," Shuyin said. "It's a good start, but the eight of us are not going to be able to fight off the entire Bevelle Army, their Machina and Vegnagun." 

Yuna and Rikku exchanged a look and the Al Bhed girl grinned. "You'd be surprised what you can accomplish if you _believe in Yuna,_ right Yunie?" 

Yuna grinned back at Rikku. "Right." 

Lenne had a feeling that this was some kind of private joke, because she didn't get it. 

"If we lead," Gippal said, "the people who love Zanarkand will follow and defend their city. Let Rikku and I handle the Al Bhed. We may not follow the Temple teachings, but when it comes to protecting what's ours they're happy to play ball, as long as we all have common interests, which in this case is protecting Zanarkand." 

Lenne nodded and looked at Yuna, who seemed to be trying to figure something out. "What is it?" Lenne asked. 

"Perhaps we could try and reach Remiem and Maccalania Temples. We could use as many summoners as possible." 

"Remiem, yes," Lenne said. "Maccalania, no. They're behind Bevelle one hundred percent. They always have been." 

"Perhaps we should send for willing volunteers from Remiem, then. It can't hurt." 

"I'll send one of our messengers out shortly," Lenne agreed. Yuna was right. Any extra help they could get, they'd take. 

"Anything else?" Yuna asked. 

"I've heard more than enough, for now," Lenne said. Truth be told, Lenne didn't want to hear any of it. It was too scary. Too complicated. 

"Me too," Shuyin said. Lenne felt his hand on her shoulder. He gave it a light squeeze and she placed her own hand over his. She was glad he was there. 

"What are we going to tell the people?" Yuna asked. 

"Tell them as little as possible," Auron said. "They don't need to know everything yet. And keep the Temple locked up until after we know Maester Yu's position. Make your statement then." 

Lenne had only met Auron a handful of times, but having him here was a good thing, she thought. Like Yuna, he was strong and sensible. Even better that he was an experienced swordsman. Lenne thought he would lend them considerable support in the coming days. 

"All right," Yuna said. "If there are no more questions or ideas, then we'll spilt up now for a little training, except for Rikku and Gippal, you guys go find us some techies. We'll meet back here to watch the Maester's press conference. After that, we'll decide how to proceed."

* * *

_NOTES:_

_Lotsa dialogue! La doodoo is about to hit the fan. Considering an unusual pairing . . . who you ask? The only singles in the story, of course . . . Paine and Auron. What do you think? Post a review with your thoughts._

_Came across a very good but very neglected story the other day called "Tales of a New Zanarkand," by Ace Voxen. It's a little hard to read because of formatting problems, but I HIGHLY recommend this story! Give it a shot. It's worth it._

**_Those of you that have reviewed and those of you who have put this story on your faves or alert list...thank you. you are awesome!_**

**_Everyone else, I can't hear yoooooou!_**   
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